Five heroic finalists announced for Cruft’s Friends for Life award

Photo: Flick.digital

The Kennel Club has announced the five dogs who will compete in the prestigious Friends for Life award at Crufts 2018 (8-11 March).

The Friends for Life competition celebrates the special relationship people have with their dogs and recognises the heroic canines that make an extraordinary contribution to their owners’ lives.

The 2018 finalists

Vanessa and Jack: Border Terrier Jack has completely changed Vanessa’s life by helping her deal with complex mental health illnesses.

Sarah and Waffle: Hearing dog Waffle has become the ‘ears’ for his young owner Sarah, and helped her reconnect with the world around her.

Gayle and Taz: Search and rescue dog Taz has spent his life working in adverse conditions to help find missing persons, from murder enquiries to a helicopter crash.

Clare and Griffin: Assistance dog Griffin has become a lifeline for Clare who has Ehlers Danlos syndrome. He undertakes over 100 different tasks for his owner, from picking up the phone to loading and unloading the washing machine

Hannah and Buttons: Shih Tzu Buttons taught himself how to be an assistance dog and has given unending support to Hannah through serious illness and given her a new life to look forward to.

You can vote now by visiting the Friends for Life page, where you can also find out more about these amazing dogs.

If you love dogs, you will love these two documentaries on Horse & Country. Leader of the Pack tells the story of a remarkable dog trainer called Dima Yeremenko, while Hounds & the Huntsman is a fascinating film about a Sussex huntsman, who has a unique relationship with his hounds.