A Fox terrier left at death’s door after a ferocious dog attack, and a cat left with a fractured jaw after being hit by a car, are among the first entrants into this year’s Pet Survivor competition, run by leading vet charity PDSA. Now, many pets end up with some sort of life threatening condition, (click here for examples), which hails them a hero anyway for being so strong through it. But when it is a situation up to chance, and they somehow manage to come out the other side unscathed, this is something to applaud and be grateful for.

PDSA is searching for the UK’s most incredible stories of pet survival for its unique award. The competition is open to any pet in the UK that has been treated for a life-threatening illness or injury. Enter online at www.pdsa.org.uk/petsurvivor

Early entrants Trinny and Loopie

Early contender Trinny, an 11-year-old long-haired Fox terrier, was left fighting for her life after being badly bitten by another dog. Trinny was left in shock, with deep lacerations, horrific puncture wounds to her chest. She also suffered a shoulder injury so bad she was in danger of losing her front leg. She was treated at Manchester PDSA Pet hospital, where she needed multiple operations to mend her wounds. Not only is this a competition for little heroes like Trinny, but also a reminder to pet parents all over the country to invest in pet insurance, whether they speak to their registered vet about how to compare, or read geico pet insurance reviews and similar online to ensure they are getting the right deal for them. Without this saving grace, many of these pets would not have made it to today. Not only is it the will to live that drives them to recover, but the effort into medical treatments and determination by vets. With hefty vet bills these days, many pet owners cannot afford lifesaving treatment on their own.

Brave Trinny received intensive care from PDSA vet nurses, including antibiotics to treat the weeping wounds, pain-relief and drip therapy. At first when she arrived home, she didn’t want to eat, so had to be hand-fed to help her recover. Alternatively, her owners could have looked at using CBD products to help her, as dogs have an endocannabinoid system just like humans. This means that CBD oil could have been used as pain relief, a stress reliever, and even encouraged her appetite to help her recover faster. Incredibly, after months of rehabilitation, she defied the odds, pulled through, and has made a full recovery. Her owners, Julie Keeling and Mark Aspray, have put her forward for the PDSA Pet Survivor awards to recognise her incredible bravery.

Meanwhile, three-year-old cat Loopie lost at least one of his nine lives after being hit by a car. He was rushed to the out-of-hours team based at Sheffield PDSA Pet Hospital, and was in such a critical condition that owner James Rowney was warned to prepare for the worst. Loopie had severe head injuries, his jaw had multiple fractures and the skin was ripped away from his lower jaw. Not only did Loopie’s jaw have to be fixed with wire (and a feeding tube fitted as he couldn’t eat by himself), but he needed surgery to re-attach the ripped skin.

After 12 days of intensive care from the vet team, he was eventually well enough to go home, and went on to make a full recovery. Loopie is being entered into Pet Survivor by his owner James, who wants to thank the team at Sheffield for saving the life of his friend.

Previous Pet Survivor winners

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 who has 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.

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. Pet owners wishing to nominate their pet can enter online at www.pdsa.org.uk/petsurvivor. The closing date is Sunday 8 September 2019.