The Lipster

Here's a picture of a Loldog. Look how cute he is. Look at his little face!

Now imagine you are cruelly abandoning him. You bastard. But you're not alone. The Independent reports on a marked increase in pets being dumped by owners who can no longer afford to keep them thanks to the rising cost of living.

"I think that's appalling because animals don't have the luxury of being able to choose their homes, but they're often the first to suffer," says sanctuary owner Gillian Stuart. "We've seen a constant flow of abandoned animals over the past 12 months; dogs tied to lampposts, litters of kittens abandoned at the side of the road, you name it, we've had them."

If you're not weeping into your laptop, then you're a heartless human being. But it's not all doom and gloom for our canine chums. Over in Cannes, pooches have been competing for the ultimate prize - the Palm Dog. The coveted gong celebrates the best doggie action in cinema, counts Chloe Sevigny as a Goodwill Ambassador and awarded last year's prize to Persepolis. Crufts it ain't. Read more about it at The Times, and cheer yourself up.