After the Big Freeze... the Big Thaw: Britain basks in balmy blast from the West

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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Braving the cold: Clyde the seal pup with frozen whiskers copes with extreme temperatures at Hessilhead Rescue centre in Beith, Ayrshire


- Overnight lows of -15C in Scotland and -13C in England

- Experts say cold snap is 'once in a lifetime'

- Army called in to help councils clear away ice and snow


The whole of Britain was today enjoying a thaw - with all parts of the country above freezing for the first time since the cold spell struck last month.

Temperatures will even reach double figures in places as shivering Britons get a balmy blast of weather from the West.


And there's more good news for the weekend, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of up to 8c (46f) - although temperatures are set to plummet again by the middle of next week.


Two women pull a pushchair down a road near the Royal Hospital for sick Children, Edinburgh


Gemma Plumb, a MeteoGroup weather forecaster said: 'It is going to be a lot less cold. We will probably see a maximum temperature of between 7C (44.6F) and 10C (50F) today.

'It will be warmest in the North and West of Scotland, but the warmer front will spread all over the country.

'We'll see some of the snow starting to melt, but it is going to start getting cold again on Saturday night, with the possibility of more snow towards the end of next week.'

The Met Office has warned that, despite the temperature increases, people should still look out for ice.

A spokesman said: 'With surfaces remaining very cold, there is a risk of icy conditions developing almost anywhere, particularly where skies clear overnight and during the first part of the morning.

'The highest risk is in parts of central and eastern Scotland and northeast England.'

Scotland, much of which ground to a halt this week in the worst snow since the 1960s, was on thaw alert after a spate of flood-related incidents from melting ice and snow.


A man uses a shovel to remove snow from the roof of a house in Edinburgh


Christmas lamb: The freezing conditions didn't stop the birth of Snowy the lamb in Llangibby, north Wales


Western areas of the UK will be warmest today, with 10c (50f) expected in the South West, north Wales and western Scotland.

Northern parts of Britain will feel slightly chillier in a brisk north west breeze.
It will stay above freezing all day and through the night, dipping to 1c in the coldest parts of the Highlands.

Colder conditions are then set to return on Sunday and into next week, with more snow and ice expected up until Christmas.

Britain has seen temperatures as low as minus 20c (-4f) since the country was gripped by the cold spell on November 23.

The weather started improving yesterday, with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue attending more than 120 flood-related incidents due to melting ice and burst pipes.

The thaw also means that pedestrians run the risk of being hit by icicles and snow falling from buildings.

And emergency services warned that rising temperatures were weakening already dangerous ice cover on frozen lochs and ponds.


Polar bears enjoying Scotland's big freeze







source: dailymail
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Cub's curiosity ends in a joint rescue between man and bear

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By Mail Foreign Service

Out in the open: The hapless bear cub is pulled along as Dave Havard drags his fishing net from long reeds near his home in Anchorage, Alaska


It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Two bear cubs were out with their mother recently in Anchorage, Alaska, when one spotted a fishing net lying in tall reeds.

The mischievous cub was curious and decided to investigate - inevitably getting tangled in the net and crying to mum for help.


Come with me: The mother bear tries to take her cub back into the reeds but the poor little thing is hopelessly tangled up in the strong fishing net


But the cub's cries were also by fisherman Dave Havard, who came out of his nearby home to see what all the fuss was about.

Havard tried to free the poor cub from the twisted net but didn't want to get too close, just in case the mother misinterpreted his helping hand as a bid to harm the youngster.

Finally, both grown-ups decided to work together.

As an amatuer photographer captured the unfolding (or is that untangling?) drama, Havard got his truck and hooked up the net, dragging it and the poor cub out of the reeds and into the open - with mother bear in hot pursuit.


Now you've done it: The mother looks momentarily perplexed until she decides to tear through the netting with her teeth and claws


Wait till your father hears about this: Mother and the now-freed cub head for the wild - as the cub's bemused sibling follows along behind


Then, as Havard pinned the net to the ground with his truck, mother bear tried to simply carry the cub away. Realising that this was not going to work, she then used her teeth, claws ans sheer strngth to tear through the strong netting and carry the wailing bear back into the wild.

Like all siblings everywhere, the other bear cub didn't lift a furry finger to help during the ordeal - watching from a safe distance with a mixture of curiosity and bemusement.

Both mother an cub were unhurt in the incident , although the little one will be leaving nets alone frrom now on.
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Q: What do you get when you combine a zebra and a donkey? A: Zedonk (and this one's got her father's legs)

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By Mail Foreign Service

Why do I look different, mum? Pippi Longstockings stands next to her mother at a reserve in Georgia, U.S.


From above the haunches, this six-day-old foal looks every bit a donkey as she plays with her mother.

But the striped legs are a sure giveaway that something is a bit different about her.

In fact the youngster - already named Pippi Longstockings after the children's books is a zedonk. With its zebra father, she joins the likes of mules (horses and donkeys) and ligers (lions and tigers) as the latest hybrid.

The newborn, who has black stripes prominently displayed on her legs and face, was born at Chestatee Wildlife Preserve at Dahlonega in the southern U.S. state of Georgia.

C.W. Wathen, the sanctuary's founder and general manager, told The Times of Gainesville, Georgia, that the foal has a zebra's instincts.

He said she sits up instead of lying on her side, as if she's staying alert for predators.

Donkeys and zebras don't usually mate, but zedonks turn up occasionally.

Wathen says that in about two weeks, the foal will begin roaming the property with the rest of the animals.

But don't expect Pippa to breed - hybrid animals are usually sterile.



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You dummy! The moment a real hare took his life in his hands by tearing across greyhound track

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By Mail Foreign Service

Hare of the dog: The moment a real hare dashed on to the track at a greyhound race in Victoria, Australia


Spare a thought for the poor punters who put a bet on Ginny Lou in the Finer Fruit Stakes in Australia earlier this week.

The racing greyhound was coming a respectable third at the track in Shepperton, Victoria, when she was suddenly confronted with two hares to chase.

Spectators were just as confused as the wild hare ran across the track, straight into the path of a thundering pack of eight greyhounds trained to chase him down.

The rest of the dogs continued to chase the fake but Jinny Lou -showing a taste for reality over fantasy - veered off on a mission to run the real hare down.


Bad hare day: While the rest of the pack chases the fake hare, third-placed Ginny Lou veers off to chase the real thing


She jumped from the pack and vanished from the field, chasing her prey towards the outside fence.

Racing officials were forced to declare the Finer Fruit Stakes a non-race.

Incredulous bookies had to refund all bets on the race - up to £18,500.

Though ground staff launched a hunt for the pesky intruder, it managed to outwit both them and Ginny Lou and make good its escape.

Ginny's trainer Scott Stefanos said that after the race he didn't know whether to laugh or cry about the incident.

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Caught on camera, the horrifying moment an two-ton elephant charged and nearly killed his terrified keeper

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By Mail Foreign Service

Deadly: A CCTV image shows Louie the elephant charging his trainer, Don Redfox, who is already injured on the ground. Mr Redfox barely escaped with his life


This is the terrifying moment an elephant charged its keeper.

Security video shows the trainer, Don Redfox, desperately trying to protect himself as Louie the elephant - who weighs two tons - pinned him in a corner, his tusks narrowly missing the man's head and chest.

The elephant then backs away as Mr Redfox stumbles out.

He has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries since the attack three weeks ago at an Ohio zoo.

Doctors have upgraded his condition and expect him to recover from two punctured lungs and several fractured ribs.

Anne Baker, the zoo's director, said it's not clear why Louie, turned on the keeper.

The elephant and Mr Redfox had been together nearly every day since the animal's birth seven years ago.

It looks as if Louie was startled and then started play-fighting, as elephants do in the wild, Ms Baker said.

Mr Redfox makes it a habit to talk to the animals before he approaches so he doesn't surprise them, Ms Baker said.

She thinks he didn't do it this time because he didn't know Louie was around the corner when he walked into the enclosure carrying a bag of carrots.

'Neither expected the other to be there,' Ms Baker said.


Escape: A wounded Mr Redfox stumbles towards safety as Louie suddenly backs off


They both backed away. Louie flared his ears and moved toward the keeper, pushing toward Mr Redfox before the keeper stepped safely behind a gate and closed it.

But then Mr Redfox returned and tried to move the elephant away with a pole with a hook on the end. That's when the elephant charged, pinning him in the corner and knocking him to his knees.

Louie backed up, dropped to his knees, and then charged again at Mr Redfox, who curled up and tried to shield himself.

After that, the elephant backed away again and Mr Redfox stumbled to safety.
Ms Baker said the elephant could have killed Redfox at any time.

Since he did not, she and another elephant expert who reviewed the video think that Louie was play-fighting.

'The problem is Louie weighs over 4,000 pounds,' she said - about two tons.

Zoo officials have not been able to talk with Mr Redfox, who faces a long recovery, according to his doctors.

Mr Redfox and his family initially fought the video's release - but as the incident made its way into the media, they changed their minds, wanting to show that the animal wasn't mistreated.

The family said it continues to believe that 'releasing the security tape does nothing more than provide an opportunity to sensationalize a tragic accident'.
See the video here

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The cow wash: How an automatic brushing machine can improve milk production

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Udderly amazing: A cow closes its eyes and enjoys the brushing sensation created by the new machine


Looking your best can sometimes be hard work. But for this cow, it would appear that having a brush-up is one of life's pleasures.

The animal is enjoying a spell in the cow wash, which, according to its designers DeLaval, is welcome news for farmers as well.

The cow wash boosts milk production by improving the animal's blood circulation and stopping the spread of disease, says the company.

The company has already sold 30,000 cow washes in its native Sweden, and is now bringing the product to the UK.

A spokesman said the cows enjoy the sensation of being brushed and it can boost milk production by 3.5per cent.

He said: 'The swinging cow brush is a self-grooming device that keeps cows happier, healthier and more productive.

'The brush starts to rotate on contact at an animal-friendly speed. It swings freely in all directions, smoothly up, over and alongside the cow.


Moo-ving past: A cow walks forward as the machine rotates, not only cleaning the animal but improving its health as well by improving blood circulation


'The bristles have the right length and hardness to stimulate the blood circulation whilst helping the cow to keep clean and calm.

'It is very popular among dairy farmers. Cows using the swinging cow brush are cleaner, calmer and therefore more balanced.'

A study conducted by scientists in the USA found the brush resulted in better animal health due to an increase in blood circulation.

It also concluded that cows using the machine were 34 per cent less likely to suffer from clinical mastitis - a condition which results in milk abnormalities.

The research team also reported increased milk production of up 3.5 per cent for cows in a pen using the swinging cow brush.
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Oof! Now THAT'S going to hurt: Bloody day for Pamplona bull runners as two badly gored and five more hospitalised

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By Mail Foreign Service

Tramplona! A bull falls on a runner during the Pamplona festival, which is a symbol of Spanish culture but has been condemned by animal rights groups


It may not look like it but the man lying squashed underneath a 1,000lb angry bull has got off lightly.

He was not seriously hurt, but two other men were badly gored during the famous running of the bulls at Spain's famed San Fermin fiesta today.

At least five other people were hospitalised after falling or being trampled by the animals, officials said.

Thousands took part in the dash to keep ahead of six fighting bulls and six bell-tinkling steers tasked with keeping the beasts together along the 930-yard course from a holding pen to the northern town's bullring.

The run lasted just under four minutes and produced panic when some bulls separated from the pack.


A runner is knocked down by a Cebada Gago fighting bull at Estafeta Corner during the second running of the bulls on the third day of the San Fermin festival


One stopped just before entering the bullring and paced in circles threateningly while staring at the runners.

Television images showed the first runner being gored in the chest and hurled like a rag doll to the cobblestones of one of the narrow streets where the bull run takes place in Pamplona's historical old quarter.

He remained on the ground dazed until he was taken away by rescue workers.

One man sustained serious injuries after being gored in the thorax, while a second man was gored in the left leg but was in better condition, said Fernando Boneta, a doctor at Navarra Hospital.


Crushing feeling: One reveller is squashed to the groun after this steer fell on top of him


Knock out: The runner lies stunned on the ground as the bulls run past during the traditional eight-day event


The more seriously injured man was a 22-year-old Spaniard, while the other goring victim was a 43-year old man from Dublin, authorities said.

The men were identified only by their initials.

Five more people were hospitalised in Pamplona for less serious injuries, mostly broken bones and bruises sustained in falls as they ran, though the images clearly showed other people being trampled.

They included a 49-year-old American, a 33-year-old Israeli and three Spaniards, the Navarra regional government said.

Thursday's gorings were the first for the series of eight bull runs held during the nine-day street festival that also features around-the-clock drinking that attracts tens of thousands of Spaniards and foreigners.

Cody Harrington, 22, was amazed at the size of the 1,100lb bulls as he ran alongside them for the first time.


Holy cow that's heavy: A leading ox of the Cebada Gago fighting bulls falls on an unlucky runner


A fighting cow leaps over revellers during festivities in the bullring after the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival


'They were about up to my shoulders, and it was intense,' the university student from Lake Tahoe, California said.

'Once I saw them running right next to me I got to the side and it was shocking how big they were.'

His 62-year-old father ran as well.

'It was a rush, definitely an adrenaline rush, the street is so narrow, you're right next to them and then they're gone like a shooting star,' said Jack Harrington, a dentist on a tour of Europe with his wife, son and two daughters.

An 18-year-old Australian who sustained three fractured vertebrae in the first race Wednesday remained in hospital on Thursday in a serious condition, according to the El Diario de Navarra newspaper.

He was identified by the newspaper as Nicholas Ward of Melbourne. The young man's father, Howard, told the newspaper his son was expected to remain hospitalised for two weeks.


A participant falls in front of Cebada Gago fighting bulls on the second San Fermin Festival bull run


Faces of fear: The festival is a symbol of Spanish culture, despite heavy condemnation from animal rights groups, and attracts thousands of tourists to watch the bull runs


An American was also injured on Wednesday in another event during the San Fermin party in which calves are released into a bullring to be taunted by young men.
The unidentified 22-year-old sustained a ripped scrotum from a horn injury, El Diario de Navarra said.

He received stitches at the bullring from emergency workers and was sent to hospital.

While gorings from the adult bulls with their huge horns are more likely to be fatal or cause serious injuries, the calves are also dangerous because they are more frisky, moving around the ring rapidly.

A spokeswoman for the hospital where the Australian and the American were taken said that no one was immediately available to provide an update on their conditions or more details.

The runs are broadcast live on Spanish television and the bulls that run each morning are killed in the evening in the bullring, their meat served up in Pamplona's restaurants.

Dozens of people are injured in the runs each year. Gorings produce the most dramatic injuries and generate extensive comment and analysis in Spain's media, though most runners who end up hurt fall or are trampled. Last year's festival saw the first fatal goring in nearly 15 years.


Spanish Red Cross personnel carry a reveler after being gored by Cebada Gago ranch fighting bulls


Oh, that really hurt: A 'mozo,' or runner, is attended to by the Red Cross after being gored by a bull
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Chandi a diva? You must be barking

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By Richard Barber

Leading the way: Tina Humphrey with her dancing dog, Chandi


Tina lowers her eyelids when I suggest it might be a TV project. We are sitting in the front room of her detached house near Shrewsbury.


*** Scroll down to watch VDO ***


The room is dominated by three baskets: one where Britain's most famous dancing dog catches up on her sleep; the other two piled high with cuddly toys.

Chandi ambles over and plonks a wet nose in my hand. She is sporting a rather dashing neckerchief in brilliant fuchsia, edged with glass studs.

TV Hit: Tina and Chandi appear on Britain's Got Talent


As the Britain's Got Talent convoy trundles around the UK and Ireland on tour, there is one act absent from the bus shuttling the excited finalists between gigs.

Where is Chandi the dancing dog, and her crisply-spoken owner Tina Humphrey? They're in the show, but travel in a chauffeur-driven car.

'It would be far too noisy for Chandi on the bus,' says no-nonsense Tina, who only the night before had been called by her new agent with an offer which would make her and Chandi his highest earning clients.

Tina can envisage a line of doggie scarves in a range of colours and Chandi cuddly toys. Then there's the possibility of books and branded dog food, 'although it would have to be strictly organic'.

The 37-year-old music teacher is far from being your typical BGT contestant. An Oxford graduate - she got a 2:1 in the history of music - she's petite and pretty, but with a streak of steel.

When Simon Cowell suggested on TV that perhaps it was time for the 11-year-old Chandi to slip into graceful retirement, Tina shot back with: 'Oh, there's life in the old dog yet.'

There is no man in Tina's life - 'there's my other half ', she says, pointing to the adoring Chandi.

While Tina was sitting her finals, her mother, Diane, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Tina stayed at home to look after her, teaching piano and violin - still does two mornings a week.

Her father, Brian, a former BBC sound engineer, also succumbed to cancer. Tina's bond with Chandi is all the deeper for these losses.

'On the day I went to the local pound to choose a dog, Chandi was brought in. 'We think we're in charge of our own destiny, but we're not. Chandi and I took one look at each other and that was it. We are at the very centre of each other's worlds.'

Her first rescue dog had been a stray she named Pepper. Tina trained her and they won prizes in dog agility shows together.

Chandi, whom she acquired in 1998, also proved a natural. Tina has cabinets groaning with trophies and in 2007 auditioned for BBC1's When Will I Be Famous? hosted by Graham Norton.

'We won our heat and £10,000,' says Tina.

It was money sorely needed because Pepper was now ill. 'All our winnings went towards trying to save her life.'

The BGT exper ience proved exhausting. 'On the Monday after it ended, I was tearful all day,' says Tina. 'It had been such an overwhelming experience, the focus of my life for six months since my first audition just before Christmas.'

There have been whisperings that Tina's protective demands for Chandi were turning her into a diva.

'Rubbish,' she says robustly. 'All I asked for was a separate dressing room, so that Chandi could have some peace and quiet and a fan to keep her cool.'

And what about the suggestions that they had no right to be on the show in the first place, because Chandi is an established showbiz dog?

Tina snorts indignantly. 'She's no more a showbiz dog than I'm a showbiz person,' she says.

For the BGT tour details and to book tickets, visit itv.com/talent



PS. Kate and Gin did OK. Just ask Oprah

Kate Nicholas with Gin

Two years before Tina and Chandi, another novelty dog act reached the BGT final.

So,what happened to student Kate Nicholas and her farm collie, Gin?

‘I left my animal management studies early because I was in such demand after the show,’ says Kate, now 18, who has another Collie, a two-year-old called Ice

‘We’ve done Butlins and arenas all over the country. We work almost every day and make a good living out of it.’

Kate has been to America twice with Gin, appearing on TV programmes, including Oprah, and in a dog bed commercial.





source :dailymail, youtube
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Monkeying around: Michael Jackson's sister LaToya visits her brother's favourite chimp Bubbles

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By Mail Online Reporter

Sister and chimp reunion: An emotional LaToya Jackson shares a moment with her late brother Michael's former pet chimp, Bubbles


Nearing the anniversary of her brother's death on Friday, LaToya Jackson had an emotional reunion with Michael's former pet Bubbles the chimpanzee.

As part of an Animal Planet documentary, she visited the ape at his Florida sanctuary.

On her way there, LaToya confessed that she was 'really looking forward to seeing Bubbles, more than anything else'.


Behind bars: Apart from a few grey hairs, Bubbles still looks the same as when he was young, according to LaToya


Michael's big sister claimed that she hadn't seen Bubbles for '20 something years' and her excitement was palpable.

Unfortunately, Bubbles' enthusiasm at the long-awaited reunion didn't match LaToya's and he remained pretty stoic as he gazed sadly from behind bars.

LaToya, 54, said the chimp used to 'eat at the table with us' and told how he used to walk to the fridge and help himself to his favourite treat - Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

As she hosed him down with water, the singer reminisced that it was just like old days, when Bubbles used to have his own bathroom and regularly take showers.


Walk back in time: LaToya was in a nostalgic mood as she visited her brother's former pet and strolled around the grounds of the sanctuary where he lives


Things turned emotional for LaToya though as she shared a little one on one time with the chimp.

A teary Jackson told Bubbles: 'I miss you - I haven't seen you in ages.'
Michael Jackson adopted the ape from a Texas research facility in the early eighties.

Bubbles slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom, shared the singer's toilet and ate sweets in the Neverland movie theatre.

For a time, Jackson took the chimp everywhere with him, even travelling to Japan with him and taking him along to afternoon tea with a Japanese mayor.


In happier times: Michael Jackson poses in a matching outfit with Bubbles


Unfortunately for Bubbles though his lavish lifestyle was brought to a grinding halt when he grew too large, and aggressive, for Jackson to handle.

In 2003, his pet was carted off to a California animal sanctuary where he became so depressed he reportedly attempted suicide.

When the sanctuary closed in 2004, Bubbles was taken to his current home, the Center for Great Apes, in Wauchula, Florida.
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Wildebeest, tortoise, hamster and The Stag... Hyundai pokes fun at Jeremy Clarkson & co with 'Top Deer' adverts

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By Carol Driver

Top Deer: Wildebeest Jeremy Clarkson and James 'tortoise' May present the Hyundai adverts


It’s the Top Gear presenters as they have never been seen before.

In two new Hyundai adverts poking fun at the BBC2 programme, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond appear as a wildebeest, a tortoise and, rather fittingly given his nickname, a hamster.

‘Top Deer’ pulls out all the stops, echoing the show’s videography, theme music and test drives for its Tucson Lx35 commercials.


Poking fun: Richard Hammond is portrayed as a hamster in the Hyundai commercials


In the first advert's opening scene, the wildebeest - which has a Clarkson-sounding voice - introduces the show, saying: ‘Tonight, I get my hooves on the new Hyundai Tucson Lx35, Captain Cautious installs airbags inside his shell and a hamster gets lost inside an improbably large boot.’

The car is then taken for a test drive by the wildebeest, who – placing his hooves on the wheel, adds: ‘You get controls at your fingertips, which is great, if you’ve got fingers.’

It concludes: ‘Unless you’re 100 per cent human, this SUV is about as appealing as a hamster sandwich.’


Test drive: Wildebeest Clarkson gets his 'hooves' on the new Tucson Lx35


Mocked: Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, and James May are the targets of the Hyundai adverts


The second advert also mocks Top Gear’s mysterious ‘tame racing driver’ The Stig by introducing his animal doppelganger, with the wildebeest saying: ‘Some say his droppings contain traces of plutonium… all we know is that we call him The Stag.’

The videos have attracted more than 150,000 viewers on YouTube.
The adverts' shameless copying of the programme, which attracts more than 3million viewers, are bound to spark anger at the BBC - although officials are yet to comment.

It's not entirely clear what the motivation is behind Hyundai's mickey taking.

But a suggestion that it's revenge for Top Gear's describing the carmaker as, ‘Your slightly embarrassing Korean uncle. You know him - he's the one who's not quite as good at anything as most of your other relatives ... he's just a bit c**p' is leading the way...





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Transformer Owl

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Transformer Owl
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You've been framed: Frantic cat trapped in half-open window is saved by good Samaritan

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By Mail Foreign Service

Stuck: The cat is trapped in the half-open window with its hind legs sticking out


Dangling precariously above a busy road, this cat nearly had to use one of its nine lives after getting stuck in a half-open window.

Passers-by watched with concern as the black and white moggy struggled to pull itself back into its two-storey house, in Romania.


The moggy tries to pull itself inside the house, but without luck


With its hind legs sticking out the window, the feline is at first frozen with panic.
Then there are signs of life, as the cat repeatedly swings back and forth trying to get free, but to no avail.


Nearly there: The cat tries to squeeze through the window at a house in Romania


Helping hand: A passersby climbs up and frees the cat from the window


Luckily for the foolhardy feline, a good Samaritan climbed up to rescue the animal.
The man scales the building and lifts the cat’s hind legs through the window.
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Goodbye, Miss Ellie: Global mourning as World's Ugliest Dog dies aged 17

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By Mail Foreign Service

When ugly is beautiful: Miss Ellie competes in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest in 2009. She went on to raise more than £68,000 for the Humane Society


Miss Ellie, the former World's Ugliest Dog, has died aged 17.

The small, bug-eyed Chinese Crested Hairless dog whose pimples and lolling tongue helped her win Animal Planet's 'World's Ugliest Dog' contest in 2009, passed away in Colorado.

Miss Ellie only had a couple of back teeth, cataracts in both her eyes, several moles and pimples, and limited hair.


Ready for my close-up: Miss Ellie, officially the world's ugliest pedigree dog


Kept in a kennel for much of her life, her original owner saw no purpose for her.

But then she was rescued in Tennessee by Dawn Goehring - who saw hope in the hairlessness.

Miss Ellie was to be 'spokesmodel for rescue dogs of the "not so cute" kind,' she said.

When she was rescued she knew no commands and was not house trained.

But Dawn lavished so much love and care on her that she even brought her to her wedding - dressed in a rival white dress and veil.

But by 2009, when she won her infamous title, she ruled the roost among her other rescue compatriots.


Triumph: Miss Ellie's owner Dawn Goehring on hearing the news her diamond dog had won in 2009


'Her dream is to travel around to prove that ugly is just a word, and says nothing about how wonderful she is,' Dawn said in 2009.

'Miss Ellie hopes that people get the message that there are plenty of wonderful rescue dogs out there just waiting for a chance,' she claimed proudly.

At the time, as well as winning a modeling contract from House Of Dog, Ellie also picked up a cheque for $1,000, a trophy to put in her kennel and even a professional photo shoot.

She went on to have a short but sweet career in resort show business in Colorado's Smoky Mountains, starring in shows at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge.

She also appeared on The Animal Planet cable show 'Dogs 101' and was on billboards and in a commercial.

Pigeon Forge Mayor Keith Whaley proclaimed November 12 as 'Miss Ellie Day' for her owner's efforts to raise money for the local humane society.

Over the years, Ellie helped raise more than $100,000 (£68,000) for the Sevier County Humane Society.

She will be cremated.
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