Animals that Start with M - Listed With Pictures, Facts

Man Given 60 Stitches After Dog Bite

A man has been left needing 60 stitches after being bitten in the face by a dog.

Wiltshire Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident in Queens Park, Swindon between 17:30 and 18:30 BST on 13 April.

Police described the dog as a large Akita breed, which left the victim requiring extensive medical treatment.

They have called on anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.

The news comes after it was reported that a small dog was killed by what appeared to be an Akita in Swindon on 4 April in the Nythe area of Swindon.

Wiltshire Police told the BBC that the incidents were not currently being treated as linked, but added that investigations are ongoing.

Japan Akita Dog Society Issues Digital Pedigree Certificates To Combat Forgery

A pair of Akita dogs are pictured in Odate, Akita Prefecture, on March 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Akita Inu Preservation Society (Kyodo)

AKITA (Kyodo) -- A Japan-based society for Akita dogs has begun issuing digital pedigree certificates for the highly popular breed in an effort to combat forgery and people losing their paper-form documents.

The Akita Inu Preservation Society based in Odate, Akita Prefecture, is employing highly secure blockchain technology to issue pedigree certificates, which until now had only been issued in paper form and had suffered logistical problems, including documents getting lost in transit when being shipped to overseas recipients.

According to the society for the northeastern Japanese dog breed, overseas membership increased from about 300 people in 2022 to around 500 in 2023. The society also said it had received a report a few years prior of a forged pedigree document in China.

The blockchain pedigree technology was developed jointly by IT firm Meta Akita Inc., based in the prefecture, and U.S. Company Heirloom Inc.

Blockchain technology is known for its security and is often used for cryptocurrency transactions. The issuing of digital certificates via blockchain also drastically reduces the time it takes for dog owners to receive them as opposed to paper documents sent by mail, which can take over two weeks.

Those wishing to obtain a certificate can apply directly from the preservation society's website. The digital certificates are issued via a smartphone app to society members.

"In addition to the convenience of digitalization, we hope that owners will also have peace of mind in knowing that their dog is purebred," society board member Yuki Shoji said.

Pet Owner Heartbroken After Dogs 'poisoned' During Walk On Sheppey's Minster Leas

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