This could have been a story with a tragic ending. Cocker spaniel Asher was on the brink of being put down after going through eight different owners who rejected him because of his naughty behaviour.
But then Dr Claire Guest met the troubled hound, and after looking into his eyes, realised she had met a kindred spirit. Claire is the co-founder of Medical Detection Dogs, a charity at the forefront of research into dogs’ ability to detect the smell of human diseases and save lives.
She saw that Asher's main issue was that he just needed to be kept busy, and most importantly, displayed a strong motivation to help. So she decided to adopt the four-year-old pooch and see if he could be trained to work with the charity.
"At first he used to run away and when you caught him he became defensive," she said. "I suspected something horrible had happened because he would even scream out with fear sometimes.
"But I also saw the way he moved and his obsession with sniffing and licking everything - it was clear he had an intense awareness of things and amazing potential to be a bio-detection dog with the right training."
Gemma Butlin from the charity added: "He is incredibly intelligent but also super quirky with a bizarre bark and sticky-up hair. But when he looks into your eyes, he looks into your soul."
Asher is 10 years old and has become a 'super nose' - one of the most successful detection dogs in the country.
He has played a huge part in helping to prove that dogs can detect the odour of disease and be a fast, accurate and non-invasive method of diagnosis for some of the world's biggest killers, including cancer, malaria and Covid-19.
When the pandemic hit, Asher was part of a study with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to assess whether dogs could be effective to screen people at airports and events for the virus.
Other research involving medical detection dogs has been published in the British Medical Journey.
"The work he has done has saved thousands of lives and potentially millions in the future," said Claire proudly.
Pet pic
Firefighters fell in love with this cute pup after they rescued him from a potentially fatal gas leak.
The crew were called to reports of carbon monoxide poisoning at a house in Worcester, where as well as four people, they were told a dog was inside too, breathing deadly fumes.
After donning hazmat suits and breathing apparatus, they rescued the human inhabitants, followed by the dog.
Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service later shared pictures on social media saying: "One cute puppy rescued from a hazmat incident this afternoon by crews. Receiving lots of attention."
Wow!
Hannah Whitmore loves her feline friends Simba and Nimbus so much they have their own bedroom, complete with double bed and scratching post. They also feast on £100 worth of cat treats every month.
Hannah, who lives with boyfriend Tommy Taylor in Redditch, Worcestershire, says: "I would say the cats own us rather than the other way around. They very much come first in our house, but I think that's the way it should be.
"I definitely spoil them in a materialistic way. But Tommy is very affectionate with them. When he gets home, he'll talk to the cat before he talks to me. He even refers to himself as dad."
Are your pets more pampered than Simba and Nimbus? Tell us about them at petclub@mirror.co.uk.
Story of the week
Train staff were left in a flap after a passenger found a pet duck on board.
The white bird, which was discovered sitting in a handbag and wearing a nappy, was taken in by South Eastern staff at Herne Hill station while they appealed for the owner to come forward.
No one claimed the duck, which was then picked up by rescuer Ann Aitken-Davies and taken to the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, Middlesex.
Ann, who named him Jack, said: "He is plump and in very good condition. I have no idea why he was dumped but his owner knew he would be found if left on a train."
Sign up to our People's Pet Awards newsletter for exclusive news and behind the scenes secrets.
