LONDON -- It's all very well and good having rolling 24 hours news, but sometimes it can get a bit depressing, can't it?
Not if you happened to tune in to BBC News on Wednesday morning, though. During a segment about canine empathy, the newsroom was blessed by the presence of one very special, waggy-tailed guest with a spectacularly alliterative name.
Enter Daniel the spaniel.
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Daniel appeared on BBC News with his owner -- Editor of Wag Magazine Deana Selby -- to discuss animal empathy and a dog's ability to pick up on human emotions.
(Look, if you stare at Daniel's chops in this GIF it sort of looks like he's talking.)
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Unsurprisingly, Daniel's presence on BBC News did not go unnoticed.
BBC News channel just interviewed their most important guest of 2015 pic.twitter.com/4TUMYr44Tl— Eben Harks! (@EbenMarks) December 23, 2015
This makes me smile, a lot #danielthespaniel https://t.co/dE3TikKm05— Becky (@Blupye) December 23, 2015
Awaiting a press release confirming #DanielTheSpaniel has been signed by an agency and will be appearing on a number of reality shows.— Adrian Hearn (@adrian_hearn) December 23, 2015
#DanielTheSpaniel now added to my list of future pet names (currently Oedipuss the cat and Barry the Basset Hound) https://t.co/Y7jSgNZVY4— Keely Lockhart (@keelylockhart) December 23, 2015
This is my favourite @BBCNews guest of 2015 thus far. All credit to #DanielTheSpaniel. He looks marvellous.@sal_87 pic.twitter.com/YUNOhuLIqo— Alex (@alexisonf1re) December 23, 2015
People were quick to remember Bounce, a BBC interview hall-of-famer.
@BBCNewsPR @BBCNews He looks happier than Bounce #newshound pic.twitter.com/BiwBKWhhhc— Jim Hearson (@JimHearson) December 23, 2015
Things escalated quickly.
Essentially. pic.twitter.com/5fSu5P7cM5— Louis Doré (@LouisAlexDore) December 23, 2015
Ultimately, though, people were just really happy to see a dog on the news.
Daniel the Spaniel is the best news story of the year. All news should be cute animal related.— Simon (@SirHeppe) December 23, 2015
Christmas highlight so far pic.twitter.com/12mxSJDUp3— Gareth Bebb (@GarethBebb) December 23, 2015
UPDATED 23 DECEMBER 15:40: Bounce is back! The original canine interviewee made his second appearance on BBC News on Wednesday afternoon during a follow-up to Daniel the Spaniel's animal empathy segment. He's got an important-sounding new title, too.
Bounce: "spokesdog" pic.twitter.com/eqeP9OERDv— Richard James (@richjamesuk) December 23, 2015