Dad wears muzzle in solidarity with his XL bully in protest
By Josie Adnitt
A dad held a one-man protest over new XL bully laws by drinking in his local pub - with a muzzle on.
Eamonn Mcgeady, 51, and six-month-old dog Lexi wore matching protective guards on their visit to the Straw Hat.
Once inside Eamonn sat down at the bar, ordered a pint - and drank it through a straw.
His daughter Elle, 19, said he did it to make a point about new legislation on the breed - and left her feeling proud.
She visited the pub along with her dad and dog on New Year's Day.
Elle, an apprentice engineer from Chester, said: "I just don't agree with the muzzle.
"We’d be happy enough to walk her on a lead but we’re not happy with the muzzle - it’s just not nice to see.
“She hides when going on a walk now because she knows she has to wear it.
"Other dogs want to bully her now that she’s on a lead with a muzzle on.
“Before people would come up and give her a stroke and a pat but now we’re getting more evil looks off people instead.
“We got to the pub and everyone was laughing about it - I was proud [of him] and happy to see him wearing it.
"Dad was drinking pints using a straw through the muzzle and getting on the floor with Lexi to play around with her.
“He wanted to show her there was a person was wearing it and it wasn’t just for her.
"The people we walked past were praising him for it, saying it showed he’s good owner.”
The Government announced a host of law changes around XL bullys after a spate of deadly attacks in 2023.
It became a legal requirement for the dogs to wear a muzzle in public on New Year's Eve.
It is now also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL bully dogs stray.
And, from February 1, XL bullys will be banned - unless registered before the deadline.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs statement said: "Owners are also being urged to apply to register their current XL bully dogs, as the Government takes action to safely manage the existing population of the breed.
"There is only a month left to meet the deadline when the ban comes into force on 1 February.
"Owning an unregistered dog after this date will be a criminal offence, with owners who don’t facing a criminal record and an unlimited fine.
"Owners who do not want to keep their dogs after this date should take them to a vet to have them put down. "
Elle and boyfriend Nathan Morrissey, 18, a plasterer, bought Lexi in August 2023 - just weeks before the new legislation was announced.
And they say the pup used to love visiting the pub and socialising with dogs and humans alike.
But that now Lexi is forced to wear a muzzle, Elle says the pooch no longer wants attention, preferring to be left alone to lie down when visiting their local.
And while she agrees that some restrictions are needed, she says she believes it’s unfair to have to muzzle her family pet.
Elle said: “Every time we take her for a walk she’s hurting herself trying to scratch it off.
“[Dad was wearing the muzzle to] show people who think these dogs have a bad reputation that they’re not actually that bad and it’s not fair.
“We completely disagree with the rules, we agree that something needed to happen because of the amount of attacks that were happening, some action should have been taken.
“We've only had Lexi for about four months, and we want her life to be as playful and joyful as we can make it.
“It’s sad to see that she’s so young and for rest of her life she won’t experience being off lead again.”
Eamonn did not want to be interviewed for the story.
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Woman's 47 ferrets live large in the ultimate 'ferret mansion'
By Samuel Wightwick
A woman owns nearly 50 pet ferrets who all live in their own "ferret mansion" - complete with mini-beds, hammocks and slides.
Rosie Stubbs, 31, has acquired 47 through breeding, rescuing and her own collection.
Rosie has had ferrets ever since she was 12 and once had a staggering 85 of them at her home.
When she left her family's farm five years ago, Rosie moved into a property in Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire that had a large outhouse.
She filled the 35 sq ft building with everything a ferret could wish and dubbed it the "ferret mansion".
She said: “The mansion’s got mini-beds, hammocks, slides, tubes and swings. Anything you can think of!
“It’s split into two sections. One side is full of hutches for when rescues come in and the other half is where my ferrets live.”
Rosie said her love for the animal came from her father, who used them on his farm.
"I just love them. They can be so loving," she added.
Even with all of these luxuries, she said it is hard to stop them getting bored so is always looking for ways to keep them entertained.
She said: "I'm very up for going to car boot sales and finding things second hand for the ferrets to play with.
"It helps the environment and you can always find quirky things for the ferrets to enjoy.
"I found this bean bag for £3 and thought they would like it
"Then when it got all grimy, I decided to take all of the beans out and have a ball party. They loved it!
“We tried feathers too, but they didn’t like them as much.”
As well as having her own group of ferrets, Rosie has been breeding the rarer variety of Angora ferrets for 17 years.
Angora ferrets are pretty much the same as their regular counterparts aside from their coat, which makes them much more sought after.
Rosie said: "The thing people like them for specifically is their coat. Angora ferrets are so much fluffier than regular ferrets.
"I love breeding them and seeing what kind of coats they are going to come out with. It's cool when you get some unusual ones."
Rosie spends approximately £200 a month on upkeep but it can go up and down depending on how many she has.
She added: "They're great pets for working people as they actually sleep 20-22 hours a day.
"Having said that, they do go to toilet about 10-12 times a day and I have to clean their cages out very often."
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Hero saves woman and girl, three, from trapped sinking car
By Adam Dutton
A hero dad has told how he saved a woman and her three-year-old daughter after he saw their car being swept away in a flooded river.
Liam Stych, 28, leapt into the raging torrent after hearing the woman screaming “Help me, help me, please save my baby!”
Dramatic video shows the woman’s car being dragged under a footbridge as floods surged through Hall Green in Birmingham.
The fearless dad dangled off the bridge and smashed the rear passenger window and used ratchet straps to lash the woman’s Fiat Punto to railings to stop it sinking.
Incredibly, he saved the little girl by "hurling" her into the lap of his pregnant partner Tia Draper, 27, who was standing on the bridge.
West Midlands Police hailed Liam a “local hero” but the modest dad-of-two insisted he just acted “on instinct”.
He said: “My partner is five months pregnant so we went out for a walk for some exercise.
“We were walking over a bridge and I heard a woman screaming from inside a car.
“She was shouting ‘Help me, help me, please save my baby she’s in the back!’
“The front of her car was pointing down into the water so I dangled off the bridge but was careful not to put any more weight on the car in case it sank.
“I told the woman to remain calm and unwind her window and to hand me her child.
“I said to her ‘Give me babbie’s hand, I’ll get her out’.
"The woman could only get her window half-way down so I took the babbie and literally hurled her behind me and into the lap of Tia who was on the bridge.”
The roadworks engineer and traffic manager then sprinted back to his work van and grabbed a set of 3.5 tonne ratchet straps.
He said: “Once the babbie was safe I ran to get the straps and climbed back to the car and smashed the back passenger window.
“I secured the car to the bridge with the ratchet straps so it wouldn’t drift any further under the bridge.
“I then told the woman to climb into the back and get out the window.
“She managed to get out and we then held hands and just jumped together into the water after a count of three.
“It was about 5ft deep but was really strong and I dragged her out of the water.
“The ambulance crew turned up and checked her and the child over.
“I think if I hadn’t done what I did the car would have been dragged under the bridge and there would have been no way of getting them out.”
Liam, who has two children from a previous relationship, said he wanted people to understand the lethal danger of floods.
He said: “It was pure luck that we were there when it happened.
"I didn't think about what I was doing, I just acted on instinct.
“The poor lady has lost her car and her shopping which was in the back but she and her daughter could have lost their lives.
“People don’t understand how powerful floods can be.
“It’d been raining heavily but the roads suddenly turned into rivers and the streams turned into raging rivers.
“I just managed to stay calm and thought clearly about what needed to be done.
“I didn’t want to make the situation worse by panicking and sinking the car with my weight. My only thought was to get them both out safely.”
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"Annual strategy meetings transformed our marriage"
By Leo Black
A couple who have annual strategy meetings to plan the year ahead say their marriage has never been better.
Husband and wife Durelle and Samantha Bailey, both 29, go to an industrious office space every year in Washington, D.C. and hold a two-hour strategy session.
In the meetings, they each set out their goals and lay out plans on how to complete them.
Both Durelle and Samantha, who live in the US capital, say their annual strategy meetings have improved their relationship and their marriage.
Durelle said: "It's been overwhelmingly positive.
"It's something we've been doing for years and we're seeing other couples and single people do the same thing.
"We've done well at quite a young age and we attribute this to the mentality behind the meetings."
The meetings, which are their fourth year running, were initially inspired by the couple's corporate life.
They focus on finance, travel, family and personal and professional development.
The couple even have a spreadsheet, which is complete with categories and budget calculations.
Samantha, who owns a marketing company with Durelle, said: "Working in corporate, I was able to see how businesses do it.
"I liked the direction and accountability. Everyone has a piece of the business they own. They know what is expected of them and what the plan is to achieve the goal."
The couple's plans are set out in advance, which prevents clashes in their schedules, which means they are always able to support each other.
Durelle said: "It's an opportunity to get in lock-step with each other, offer support and ask: 'how can I help you achieve your goals'."
Samantha added: "It’s made for a healthier relationship between us. It helps save our quality time and avoid conflict."
The couple also pitch their ideas to each other and ensure they set themselves 'SMART' goals - a known acronym to guide the setting of goals.
Durelle said: "We challenge each other to make sure we don't overextend ourselves.
"We try to make sure we have 'SMART' goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely."
While the meetings may seem sterile and clinical from the outside, Samantha says they are in practice very positive.
She said: "If anything, this prevents conflict. The majority of these meetings have been very positive and fun.
"We have a lot of exciting things going on in our lives and the meetings are a great way to stay on track and continue progressing every year
"We don't run our marriage like a business.
"Our marriage is very intimate and loving but you have to be intentional and strategic in this economy and with the way the world is going."
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