Abandoned puppy finds new home in the police force

A puppy that was abandoned on a grass verge in Kent has found a new home, in the police force. Chester, a cocker spaniel, was four months old when he was left in a cage with five other dogs, all of whom had passed the age at which they are deemed most “cute” for buyers. He was taken in by the RSCPA, but the charity struggled to rehome him because of his high levels of energy. His foster owner, however, noticed that he had a “real drive” for searching out lost tennis balls, and wondered if he might have a future as a sniffer dog. Chester aced a six-week training course, and is now being deployed across Surrey and Sussex.

Former grouse-shooting moor to become bird haven

A former grouse-shooting moor in Galloway is to become a haven for threatened birds of prey, thanks to a community initiative to buy its 5,300 acres from one of Scotland’s biggest landowners, the Duke of Buccleuch. The purchase was financed by a mixture of grants, gifts from private and charitable trusts, and donations from members of the public. The plan is that ancient woods and peatland will be restored on the land, allowing rare birds, such as hen harriers, to thrive.

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Late teacher becomes one of France’s biggest arts benefactors

More than 20 years after her death, a former French teacher has become one of the country’s biggest arts benefactors. Martha Bailey bequeathed 65 acres of land near Stockton-on-Tees to the National Gallery, with a stipulation that it could only be sold once planning permission to build on it had been secured. With planning finally granted, the land has now been sold, netting the gallery £6.75m. (Last year, its total donations amounted to £19m.) Gabriele Finaldi, its director, said he was “honoured” to receive Bailey’s “enormously generous legacy”.