Marnie’s the Top Dog

Marnie won the top prize at Scruffts, a competition for dogs that are more than one breed.

Royal Kennel Club/BeatMedia

Marnie poses with owner Lyn Freeman (left) and Dame Laura Kenny, who was one of the Scruffts judges.

A dog named Marnie has finally had her day. The 8-year-old terrier mix was named Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year at this year’s Scruffts, a competition for dogs that are a mix of more than one breed.

Scruffts is part of a bigger dog show called Crufts, which has taken place in the United Kingdom nearly every year since 1891. But Scruffts is different from the main Crufts competition, which is limited to purebreds (dogs of only one breed). Crufts dogs are judged on things like their behavior and their movement. Judges also compare each dog to its “breed standard,” or what its breed is supposed to look like. Scruffts dogs aren’t judged by a breed standard because they aren’t only one breed.

Hundreds of dog owners entered their furry pals in the 2026 Scruffts contest. On March 7, 2026, judges selected 24 semi-finalists and then narrowed them down to four finalists. Click through the slideshow for photos and names.

Royal Kennel Club/BeatMedia

Marine, the winner in the golden oldie category, defeated the other finalists to become top dog.

Marnie’s life story could be the plot of a movie. A dog shelter took her in when she was a young adult, along with a litter of puppies she was nursing. Amazingly, the puppies were not Marnie’s, which means they were probably orphaned and her milk had saved their lives. Marnie now lives with Lyn Freeman, who adopted her about six years ago.

“I wanted to cry when [they announced the Scruffts winner.] I really did. I was just so surprised,” Freeman said. “There were some lovely dogs there, and I thought they’d pick one of the others. But it was Marnie, and it was brilliant. Proud doesn’t feel like a strong enough word to describe how I feel about Marnie. She’s very good and just takes everything in her stride.”

Royal Kennel Club/BeatMedia

Scruffts finalists Rocky, Betty, Marnie, and Chip pose with their owners.

NEWS BREAK

WNBA Players Get a Pay Raise

In this 2025 photo, A’ja Wilson (left) and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces wear shirts that say “Pay us what you owe us” to send a message to the WNBA.

The players of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) are about to get a pay raise. After hours of meetings, the players and the league reached a deal that will raise player salaries.

The new deal will raise the average WNBA player salary to about $600,000 per season. That’s much higher than the average salary of $102,000 for the 2024–2025 season. Top players can now earn over a million dollars.

The players have been fighting for a pay increase for many years. Players point out that the WNBA is becoming more popular and making more money. They believe they should be given a fair share of these earnings. The new deal isn’t final yet, but it looks like this will happen.

Did You Know?

This 1887 drawing shows a new dog arriving at Mary Tealby’s shelter.

In 1860, Mary Tealby opened the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs in London, England. Now called the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, it may be the world’s oldest animal shelter.

Bobbie the Wonder Dog

Bobbie’s journey took him from Indiana to the Braziers’ home in Oregon.

When the Brazier family lost their dog, Bobbie, they didn’t think they’d ever see him again. The Braziers didn’t find Bobbie—but somehow, Bobbie found them.

In 1923, the Braziers brought Bobbie, a collie, on a road trip from their home in Oregon to Indiana. Bobbie was free to explore wherever the family stopped. He always found his way back. One day, three neighborhood dogs chased Bobbie away, and he disappeared. Frank Brazier honked his horn, which Bobbie usually understood to mean, “Okay, time to go.” But Bobbie didn’t return.

For three days, the Braziers returned to the spot where they’d last seen Bobbie. There was no sign of him. Eventually they had to go home, where school and work were waiting for them.

The Braziers thought Bobbie was lost forever until February 1924, when the beloved and well-traveled collie was spotted. Bobbie wasn’t in Indiana but in Oregon, near the Braziers’ property! Somehow, he had traveled thousands of miles back to his home. He was thin, and his paws were worn down, leading the family to conclude that he had walked the entire way.

Newspapers spread the story, and Bobbie’s journey became legendary. Today, he’s known as “Bobbie the Wonder Dog.”

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endearing

Part of speech:

adjective

Definition:

: arousing feelings of affection or admiration

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