“All this science goes towards the business of selling pet food,” says the narrator, Robert Webb. When Joe tastes the product – all pet food gets a human taste test, which is certainly a spectacle, particularly when you’ve seen the meat smoothie rope part – we are told it is “irrelevant”.

George weighs as much as an average British woman after munching on pasties and pies (Picture: Farlap) George will be cared for at Gables Farm in Plymouth, Devon, where the country’s two previous fattest dogs were both looked after (Picture: Farlap)Ruth Pickards, deputy manager for the farm, said she and the team were proud of the work they did to help obese animals get a better life.

Dewi Evans says the Welsh word for rabbit is very similar to its Romance counterparts; Brian Ayers says rabbit bones found in East Anglia are also proof of Roman connections.

The 4cm fragment of tibia bone was unearthed at Fishbourne Roman palace in Chichester, West Sussex in 1964 but was stored in a box at the site until 2017, when Dr Fay Worley, a zooarchaeologist with Historic England, recognised it as belonging to a rabbit.

Photograph: Natalya Vilman/Getty Images/iStockphoto “He’s a lovely cat, although he has got a little grumpy in his old age,” said Michele Heritage, from Devon, of Rubble, who celebrated his 30th birthday at a party at the vet’s last year. In 2014, a female tortoise called Tommy was thought to be Britain’s oldest pet, aged 116.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “Neither Natural England nor Defra have received any credible reports of wild living or breeding big cats in Britain in recent years.

Stevie loves walking in the countryside as well as snoozing (Image: Dogs Trust )Ms Campbell continued: “We will continue to love and look after him until the day comes when he heads off to his forever home.

Chase – Britain’s ugliest dog – has died at the grand old age of 16 (Picture: WNS) Chase won prizes for having no hair, no teeth, a cataract and a crab like-walk (Picture: WNS)‘He had so much personality and I took him everywhere with me,’ Storm said.

There are six show rings, including the main arena and this year five pets who have gone above and beyond the call of duty are in the running for Crufts' dog hero competition.

Crufts 2019: Britain's most loved pups - The most popular dog in YOUR area MAPPED CRUFTS 2019 has seen dogs and their owners descend on Birmingham for one of the world’s largest dog shows.

(Picture: SWNS) Britain’s loneliest dog has finally found a home after spending more than 500 days at an animal shelter, and we couldn’t be happier for him. ‘He’s adored by staff and we couldn’t understand why he was always overlooked.

(Picture: SWNS) Britain’s fattest dog, who grew to the size of a ‘pot-bellied pig’ after living on hamburgers, has finally found a home after losing nearly half of her body weight.

He has to walk for his dry food from one room to the other and I hope it will help him to be slim before spring time.” Pompom with owner Joanna Klosowska (Image: PDSA) Pompom tips the scales at more than 21lb - twice the weight of a healthy cat (Image: PDSA) Mrs Klosowska put Pompom on a diet after receiving advice from vets at the PDSA.

Muffin has been in a dogs home for almost all of her five years (Image: Dogs Trust) Ms Cochrane continued: “After all the hard work she has put in, we really hope Muffin finally finds her special someone.

Zen is being backed by a Valentine's Day appeal (Image: NAWT) “Either the potential owners have pulled out, or their circumstances have changed and they could no longer give Zen a home.” Despite being feted on social media, coached by top trainers and having sleepovers and days out with animal charity staff, he awaits his forever home.

(Picture: SWNS) A dog called Hector has been branded as the ‘loneliest dog in Britain’ after spending more than 500 days at an animal shelter. (Picture: SWNS) ‘He’s an active boy who is looking for like-minded owners who can take him on plenty of adventures.

Chris Packham and co throw down the gauntlet to ITV’s pampered pooch countdown with the first in a new run of the wildlife series, this time from a location in the Cairngorms, where they hope to capture red squirrels and crested tits.

"It would be lovely if 2019 could change the fortunes of some of the longer stay dogs in our care and they could finally find their forever home.” Stella still waiting a year on at RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre in Surrey (Image: RSPCA) STELLA.

The Dandie Dinmont terrier has become a forgotten breed over the last 40 years, with owners preferring designer dogs like cockerpoos, labradoodles and French bulldog.

Sadly, Mr Moffatt died recently and Buddy has boomeranged back to the Dogs Trust West Calder rescue centre, where an appeal is being launched to help him find a new forever home.