Canine ‘Pride of Britain’ Winners Announced – Dogs Honoured in Dogs Trust Event

Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is proud to announce the winners of the first ever Dogs Trust Honours – dubbed “the Doggy Pride of Britain”. The results were revealed last night at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Guildhall.

The Honours were set up to recognise the nation’s canine heroes – those dogs who have gone the extra mile for their owners. Last night’s ceremony was attended by celebrity guests including Graham Norton, Martin Freeman, Sean Hughes, Anton Du Beke and Jennie Bond – though the real stars of the show were the dogs themselves.

17 dogs from across the UK were shortlisted for five different award categories: Quality of Life, Hero Dog, Lifetime Achievement, Triumph Over Adversity and the Pickles Award for outstanding canine endeavours.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin OBE, said:

“This is the first year the charity has run the Dogs Trust Honours, and all the finalists’ moving stories made it an incredible evening: by the end, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Now I just hope even more people enter their own canine heroes for next year’s awards, and make sure they get the recognition they deserve!”

Meet The Winners: 

Quality of Life Award – Kimmy with owner Stephanie Jeffries, Somerset. Award sponsored by Druces and Attlee
Kimmy has transformed the life of her owners’ 11 year old daughter, Stephanie, who was born with cerebral palsy. Thanks to Kimmy, Stephanie’s wheelchair now resides in the garage.

Hero Dog Award – Jake with handler PC Bob Crawford, Essex. Award sponsored by The Sun
With his handler PC Crawford, police dog Jake attended the scene of the terrorist attacks on July 7 2005. Police reports say the conditions they had to endure were “horrific”, their actions “exemplary” and “without a doubt Police Dog Jake saved lives this day, whilst putting his own on offer.”

Lifetime Achievement Award – Cassie with owners Ruth and David Boyes, North Yorks. Award sponsored by Petplan Insurance 2 year old Cassie was found abandoned in a boarded up house six years ago but has gone from strength to strength since then. Working as a PAT dog, her wonderful temperament and unconditional love have had a therapeutic and calming effect on the hundreds of people she has met in Nursing Homes, Hospitals, EMI units and schools.

Triumph Over Adversity Award – Morris with with owner Jacqueline Phillips
… was picked up as a stray in Wales, with a broken leg. He was rehomed from our Bridgend centre by Jacqueline, but later developed Lymphoma and was given only a few months left to live.  Following surgery and chemotherapy, Morris has been clear of cancer for the past 18 months. Since his recovery, Morris has qualified as a PAT dog and now regularly visits patients at his local hospice, where he is the highlight of the day for many residents.

Pickles Award – Whizz with owner David Pugh, Bristol. Award sponsored by Pets At Home
Whizz saved his pal Topper from drowning. Topper disappeared while on a walk, and his owner searched for half an hour, not realising Topper had fallen into a disused water tank. Whizz suddenly shot off into the bushes, and owner David found him pulling a heavily bleeding Topper to the side of the tank – thus saving his life.

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Tags:  Animal Charities