Louie the Sheep has had a growing online following since his Facebook page started, with the burgeoning social media star attracting the attention of the much-loved Scottish duo.

Shiny King sent Topics this snap of The Proclaimers - twins Charlie and Craig Reid - meeting Louie backstage before the sound check for Tuesday's concert at the Civic Theatre.

Shiny tells us that The Proclaimers - best known for their songs 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)', 'Sunshine on Leith' and 'I'm On My Way' - invited Louie for a meet and greet during their quick visit to the city.

If you get a chance, check out Louie the Sheep on Facebook to follow his adventures.

Speaking of travelling 500 miles, Topics was disappointed to read yesterday that Toyota plans to stop making the Tarago by the end of this year.

The trusty, arguably indestructible, vans are a common site on roads across the state - particularly in regional areas.

But it seems that declining sales have prompted Toyota to replace the Tarago - which it has been making for almost four decades - with a more up-market people mover called the Granvia.

If you ask Topics, it just doesn't have the same ring to it.

While we're on retirements, Newcastle police dog Kane has called it a day on his seven year career of tracking down crooks.

The NSW Police Dog Unit announced this week that Kane spent his last day in the crime fighting business on Friday.

The fearless German Shepherd comes from strong stock - his dad helped capture notorious killer Malcolm Naden in 2012.

As for his own record, Kane made headlines when he nearly died after successfully tracking two criminals almost 4km from the scene of a break in at the home of an 84-year-old man at Adamstown Heights.

His handler posted a tribute to his four-legged mate on the NSW Police Dog Unit's Facebook page. Here's an abridged version:

"He has had the complete career; with more arrests than I could keep track of. He was instrumental in locating many dangerous criminals who would have otherwise got away, he assisted in finding missing persons, locating items that helped to identify offenders, he assisted during sieges and enjoyed adding his powerful bark to public order incidents.

"Kane never once took a backward step and was the most reliable partner that I could ever ask for. In every situation we were confronted with I always had the utmost confidence that he would get the job done and we would get home safe. He was so reliable and tenacious that he would quite literally put his body on the line to catch criminals.

"I'm sure Kane would also like to thank the police of the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Central Hunter and Central Coast areas for their support because without them, a lot of Kane's arrests would never have been possible.

"Kane has more than earned his retirement and it is time to relax with his handler and family where he will be loved and spoilt always.

"Also, a big thank you to all the trainers and handlers who assisted in making Kano the police dog he is today. I can't thank you enough."

"Thank you for your service Kane. You were and will always be a true hero. Enjoy your retirement."

In the news: