Judging from the growth in upscale pet services, plenty of owners are still lavishing every comfort on their four-footed or feathered friends.

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Like many hotels and bed and breakfasts around the Winter Gardens, the Ruskin Hotel on Albert Road is packed with pigeon fanciers and their feathered friends.

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The same state that produced the Boston Tea Party, the original Ponzi fraud scheme and John Kerry is on the verge of becoming the latest to allow pet owners to write their furry or feathered friends into their wills.

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Now if you too want to turn your back garden into a haven for our feathered friends, the RSPB is holding its Feed the Birds event on Saturday and their local teams have lots of advice on transforming your garden into a wildlife-rich habitat.

BBC: NEWS | UK | How your garden can be a haven for birds