After getting curious and slipping on the green matting Cochise fell into the grave and barked while the priest was giving his eulogy,

In a remarkable video, Cochise can be seen sitting at the bottom of the grave looking up as the coffin sits above ready to be lowered.

Someone had to jump into the grave after the coffin was moved to pull the dog out. "Never knew you'd go in there before your dad," a woman said off-camera.

Thankfully, the episode was welcomed by those present. "Everyone found it highly amusing, and it really lightened the mood of the funeral," Paulie said.

The video made its way on TikTok and has gone viral receiving over 600,000 views and 600 comments.

Several comments expressed the desire to have a similar laid-back funeral. Read more and watch the video

But it was all a misunderstanding and partly down to her child's inability to pronounce his ‘T's. Read more

Strangely, the more we found ourselves searching for dogvotionals, the clearer it became that our strange brown mutt was indeed serving as a spiritually helpful analogue for God.

Eternally loving and quick to forgive? Check. Uncannily all-knowing, especially about all matters food-related? Check. Profound otherness and incomprehensibility? Very much check. Read more

Three-fourths of Americans in their 30s have dogs, while 51 percent have cats, according to a survey released by research firm Mintel. That compares to 50 percent of the overall population with dogs, and 35 percent with cats.

The findings come at a time when millennials, roughly defined as the generation born between 1980 and 2000, are half as likely to be married or living with a partner than they were 50 years ago. They are also delaying parenthood and demanding flexible work arrangements — all of which, researchers say, has translated to higher rates of pet ownership.

"Pets are becoming a replacement for children," said Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of "Generation Me."

"They're less expensive. You can get one even if you're not ready to live with someone or get married, and they can still provide companionship."

Millennial men, it turns out, are more likely to look for companionship in pets. Among those surveyed, 71 percent of men between ages 18 and 34 had dogs (versus 62 percent of women), while 48 percent had cats (versus 35 percent of women).

"Men are more willing to put in the time and effort of taking care of a pet," said Rebecca Cullen, an analyst at Mintel. "Women are more likely to feel they are away from home too much and that pets require too much work."

All of this is has big implications for the $63 billion pet industry, which has grown three-fold since 1996.

Last year Americans spent $11 billion on pet-pampering alone. One-third of owners said they bought toys for their pets, while 17 percent bought pet costumes and 10 percent shelled out for pet strollers, according to Mintel, which surveyed 2,001 adults for its findings. Continue reading

Sources

• The Washington Post, article by Abha Bhattarai, a reporter in Washington, D.C.
• Image: Millenial Magazine

In off-the-cuff remarks on Saturday at St Peter's Square, he said: "How often do we see people greatly attached to cats, to dogs", but fail to "help their neighbour, their neighbour who is in need . . . This will not do".

Francis spoke about compassion, pity, and mercy which should not "be confused with compassion which we feel for the animals who live with us".

"It happens, in fact, that at times one feels this sentiment toward animals, and remains indifferent to the suffering of one's brothers and sisters," he added.

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