Time is running out for owners to enter their furry companions into vet charity PDSA’s Pet Survivor awards, which celebrate those family pets who have survived serious injury or illness against all the odds. Entries close at midnight on Sunday 8 September.

If your pet has beaten death by a whisker and survived to tell the ‘tail’ then they want to hear from you. The awards are open to any pet treated by a vet in the UK for a life-threatening illness or injury between 1 August 2018 and 31 August 2019. Owners wishing to nominate their pet can enter online at www.pdsa.org.uk/petsurvivor.

Last year’s winner, Dexter, was crowned PDSA Pet Survivor of the Year 2018 after being shot through the mouth in a deliberate airgun attack. Surviving this shocking act of cruelty was a miracle in itself, but he was also left with a fractured jaw and a hole in the roof of his mouth, requiring months of treatment and recovery. Dexter was selected by a panel of judges to go through to a final public vote against three other pets, and was announced as the winner in December 2018.

PDSA Vet Olivia Anderson-Nathan said: “Dexter received the coveted title of Pet Survivor to recognise his incredible survival spirit, his owners’ dedication, and the skill and expertise of all the vets and vet nurses who helped to save his life. We’d like to hear from anyone whose pet has an extraordinary story of survival against all odds, or cheated death by a whisker.”

The winner of PDSA Pet Survivor 2019 will be decided by a public vote later in the year. They will receive a trophy, plus a luxury pet hamper worth £200, provided by this year’s sponsor Petsurance from PDSA.

Other previous winners include Darcy, a working Cocker Spaniel from Dundee, who fell down a 60ft dam, leaving her with a fractured pelvis, two broken legs and multiple other injuries. She won the award in 2016 after going through months of rehabilitation before she was able to fully recover. In 2015, the award was won by Staffie Ziggy, who miraculously survived being shot in the head with a crossbow.