Vets announce Pet Hero finalists

The quest to find Northern Ireland's Pet Hero has moved one step closer as the nine finalists have been announced.

Launched by vets4Pets earlier in the summer to find a pet who had gone above and beyond the normal to achieve something extraordinary.

The two-month search saw more than 75 nominations across the nine Northern Ireland practices Facebook pages.

Now, the public is being asked to vote for their favourite finalists, which includes; Honey, a golden Retriever assistance dog, Jamie, a caring cat, and Ara a life-saving black Labrador.

The finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4PetsThe finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4Pets
The finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4Pets

Kerensa Scott, veterinary surgeon and owner at Vets4Pets Carrickfergus, said: “Working in the veterinary profession means I often hear unique stories of pets doing something remarkable.

“For most owners their pets are a member of the family and a source of companionship, but for some owners, their pet is also a one-of-a-kind hero.

“The competition was launched to give owners a chance to shine the spotlight on their heroic pets and we had so many nominations. It is great to see how many remarkable pets there are in Northern Ireland and how special they are to their families.”

The winner will be selected at the end of September and will be rewarded with the opportunity of becoming the face of a new Vets4Pets marketing campaign in Northern Ireland. They will also receive a Pets at Home/Vets4Pets hamper worth £100 plus a £25 Pets at Home voucher.

The finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4PetsThe finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4Pets
The finalists the Pet Hero competition being run by Vets4Pets

Kerensa added: “Who better to be the face of Vets4Pets Northern Ireland’s new marketing campaign than a true local pet hero.

“We’re encouraging people to vote for their favourite through Facebook, before the winner is announced in September.

“Each Vets4Pets surgery selected a finalist from the nominations they received and posted their chosen Pet Hero on Facebook. The post with the most likes will be crowned the winner, so we’re encouraging people to vote for their favourite.”

The finalists include:

Bangor: Poppy a Labrador, who has been trained by her owner to alert her of seizures. She makes sure she gets her owner to a safe place as she suffers from uncontrolled epilepsy.

Lisburn Longstone: Ara a Labrador, came from Sarajavo Bosnia and saved her owners when she awoke them in the middle of the night during a family holiday to alert them of a fire in their caravan.

Lisburn: Alfie a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was given only 48 hours to live when cancer spread and his blood count became dangerously low. However, after a life-saving blood transfusion, Alfie started to improve and become a real survivor.

Belfast: Nelson a Husky, was adopted by his owners after being abandoned. Unfortunately, Nelson’s injuries were so bad he had to have one of his eyes removed. He has made a full recovery and adapted well.

Carrickfergus: Lucy-Lou a Shih Tzu cross, was attacked whilst on a walk with her owner and had to go through numerous operations. She has shown great bravery and is continuing to get better every day.

Ballymena: Honey is a Labrador assistant dog for a little girl with autism. Since Honey joined the family in 2014, she has transformed Becca’s life and is an integral part of the family.

Belfast Stormont: Ripley a pug, has been through a fair few medical problems herself but was nominated when she helped her owner through difficult times.

Newtownabbey: Jamie a caring cat, went to live with Christine after his previous owner was taken into a nursing home. Jamie still visits his previous owner and brings joy to everyone in the nursing home.

Craigavon: Spot and Ted are therapy dogs who regularly visit schools and hospitals. They love visiting the children and those with special needs particularly flourish from their company.

Facebook voting closes 30th September. For more information, please visit www.vets4pets.com/northern-ireland.