A French Bulldog who was stolen while pregnant from her Devon home 225 miles away has been found in Greater Manchester.
Two-year-old French Bulldog Maggie was sadly taken from an address in Bradninch in Devon on Thursday 13 May, while she was heavily pregnant – but following information from the public, Greater Manchester Police managed to discover that the dog was being kept at an address in Partington.
Maggie was found by officers from the Trafford West Neighbourhood Policing Team at the Partington address on Saturday.
She was in mid-labour when she was found by officers.
All of the dogs were safely recovered and taken into veterinary care, with Greater Manchester Police confirming that they are all doing well and will be reunited with their owners very shortly.
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Four people have been arrested and released pending further inquiries.
A 28 year old woman has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, and a 33 year old man has also been arrested on suspicion of theft, but both have been released under investigation.
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Maggie was found by officers from the Trafford West Neighbourhood Policing Team in Partington on Saturday / Credit: GMP / Devon & Cornwall Police
Inspector Jon Ezard from GMP’s Trafford West Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “This is a fantastic result with a happy ending for Maggie.”
He added: “Maggie and her pups will be reunited with their owner shortly, and I’d like to thank our partners at Devon and Cornwall police for their assistance, as well as the public for working with us to track them down.”
Inspector Ezard also admitted that “French Bulldogs are an extremely popular breed”, which comes after they were recently revealed as the most popular dog bought during lockdown.
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“The price of buying a dog has increased, but dog theft isn’t about money for victims, they are losing a member of the family [so] hopefully this will send a strong message that GMP will not tolerate this kind of criminality, and anyone who commits this kind of crime, will be brought to justice.”
Greater Manchester Police said it encourages anyone with any information – whether that is seeing some suspicious activity relating to dogs, or attempted thefts – to report it by calling 101.
“The information passed to us is looked into and taken seriously.” Inspector Ezard added.
The force also reiterated some helpful advice provided by leading UK charity Dogs Trust on how to keep your pet safe:
Many dogs are taken from homes and gardens every year, so making sure both are secure is a priority for dog owners and ideally, a dog shouldn’t be left on their own in the garden.
Never leave your dog unattended when you’re out and about and always keep them in sight.
Make sure they are trained to come back to you, however distracted they might be.
Ensure your dog is microchipped as having your dog microchipped, and keeping your contact details up to date, gives you the best chance of having your dog returned to you if the worst happens.
Walk in well-lit areas, vary your routes, and be aware of your surroundings.
You can also find more information about protecting your dog from theft via the Greater Manchester Police website here.
Featured Image – GMP / Devon & Cornwall Police
UK News
The EFL Championship set to expand playoffs to six teams in controversial move
Danny Jones
The English Football League (EFL) has confirmed that it will be expanding the Championship playoffs to six teams moving forward.
In one of the biggest changes, not just to the second tier but the domestic football pyramid in some time, it’s so far divided opinion – and that’s putting it mildly.
Starting from next season, the Championship will see half a dozen compete in its final knockout phase, meaning that the conclusion to the 2026/27 campaign has the potential to be even tastier than ever.
Besides the increased competition this will bring to the division itself, in turn, it could also help further mix things up in the Premier League too.
Revealing the watershed news on Thursday, 5 March, the EFL shared the update online, which has certainly left fans split over the decision.
Well, in truth, it seems the majority have been left shocked and angered by the announcement, with many responding with comments like, “Who asked for this?” and “Final nail in the coffin”, as well as citing “money” and “nothing but greed” as the main drivers for the changes.
EFL clubs obviously voted for the big shake-up as the added chance of fighting their way into the top flight will no doubt benefit them financially.
It remains to be seen whether this could signal similar adjustments made further down the ranks.
However, as many replied under the posts on social media, one key fear is that a team finishing in 8th – the new threshold for making it into the playoff stages – will be “slaughtered in the Prem” and that, if anything, it will highlight and/or widen the gap between the two leagues even more.
Most simply said that the current system is just “fine as it is” and “if ain’t broke don’t fix it”, but it looks like the wheels are already well and truly in motion.
Ruining the game. Finish 6th and have a chance to get promoted. People in charge are needing rid off. Every part of English football has out of touch people in charge coming up with awful ideas to keep their pay and clubs just go along with it. Tweet from 1987
Pure greed. Ultimately downgrades the look of the championship too when a team will inevitably finish 8th, probably a good 15-20 points behind autos and go up. Then get the lowest Premier League points ever
Safe to say that this is just a small taste of the overall reactions and almost universal consensus…
As detailed in the official statement by the EFL, Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, said: “Since their introduction in 1986/87, the Play-Offs have become a highlight of the domestic football calendar, capturing the drama, suspense and jeopardy that make the EFL so special.
“Following several months of discussion with Clubs and other stakeholders, we are confident this change will further strengthen the Championship as a competition and give more Clubs and their supporters a genuine opportunity of achieving promotion.”
They also clarified that “the exact final format will be agreed later in 2026.”
Are you a fan of a Championship club? Even if not, what do you make of the impending and controversial changes kicking off this year?
It’s mad how the EFL can sort a vote to increase the promotion opportunities for Championship clubs to the PL – yet still nothing on a second automatic place from the National League to L2.
No club promoted from the NL to L2 has ever come straight back down… https://t.co/tXy7aSOZ3l
MCR Basketball to play special knockout game for the 2026 MOBO Awards in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester Basketball are set to play an exclusive knockout game here as part of the official MOBOs Fringe events for 2026, with this year’s awards coming to Co-op Live.
There’s a place in the last eight if they can seal a victory, too.
After what feels like a tricky couple of years for Greater Manchester’s main basketball franchise, things look to be on the up for the local team.
Rebrands and rebuilds aside, the Super League side is gradually climbing back up the standings, and with their European North Basketball League (ENBL) campaign still going strong, they could book their spot in the quarters with a win ahead of a big partnered evening in just a few weeks.
Set to face off against Croatian outfit, KK Dubrava, from Zagreb on 10 March, just a couple of weeks before the MOBO Awards get underway in Manchester, the match will be one of several events that the organisation are collaborating with.
With this year marking the MOBOs’ 30th anniversary year and, like with the BRITs, our city set to host it for the first time ever, this special game sets the tone for what’s to come in and around event week.
Fans can expect not just the major red carpet moments, but live DJs spinning hip-hop and afrobeats (courtesy of DJ Kay and special guest, DJ G2), plus a live halftime performance from a MOBO artist.
It’s yet to be confirmed who’ll be popping up centre court, but watch this space…
In case you missed the previous announcements, the 2026 MOBO Awards will see global rap icon Eve and acclaimed comedian and broadcaster Eddie Kadi host the landmark night for the North, not mention lots of other exciting stuff throughout the full Fringe schedule.
Performances already confirmed on the night include rising British superstar Olivia Dean, as well as FLO and Tiwa Savage, with more still to come.
Better still, for MCR Basketball, they also have the Super League Cup final coming up over at the AO Arena next month, too.
Tickets for all of these events are live now and available to purchase as we speak.
However, with prices for Manchester Basketball vs Dubrava, specifically, priced at just £5, we don’t expect these ones to last long.
Once again, set to be hosted on Tuesday, 10 March at the National Basketball Performance Centre over in Belle Vue, the tip-off is set for 7pm; you can secure your seats HERE.
And in case you were wondering what other big competitive events are coming to Manchester, Co-op Live is booked for its first-ever big sporting final.
Emily Sergeant -
15th June 2021 
