A gentle Labrador-Cross from Norwich, who has spent eight years tirelessly helping people in her community, has been named HiLife PAT Dog of the Year for 2018.

Pets As Therapy (PAT) Dog Inca, together with her owner Sheena Scrimgeour, was one of six finalists to appear in the Crufts Good Citizen Ring at Birmingham’s NEC on Friday, where she walked away with the prestigious title.

Inca has been recognised for the joy she brings to people of all ages, many of whom are vulnerable.

Each week, she calls into a school to listen to the children read and also visits an adult mental health hospital, which specialises in care for the elderly. In addition, she is a regular in GP surgeries, prisons, libraries and a dementia cafe, where she is a calm and soothing presence for everyone she meets.

When interviewed by PAT DOG at the Good Citizen Dog Scheme arena, Winner Inca's owner Sheena overcome with emotion said "I'm staggered and very, very proud of Inca. This means a lot, and I just want to say thank you to everyone that voted for us. I can't believe it!"

Inca was awarded HiLife PAT Dog of the Year after receiving the most votes from readers of Yours magazine, who were asked to decide which of the six finalists should take the crown.

Pets As Therapy is an independently funded charity with over 5,000 volunteers.  Its registered PAT dogs and other pets provide animal assisted therapy and bring comfort, smiles and friendship to thousands of people every week.

HiLife, a high-quality pet food brand produced by Melton Mowbray-based Town & Country Petfoods, has been sponsoring the award for more than a decade.

Speaking just after the winner was announced, HiLife’s marketing communications manager Emma Stutz said:

“What amazing partnerships we saw demonstrated this year, between PAT owners and their pets. All of the finalists were worthy of the HiLife PAT Dog of the Year competition title but, of course, there can only be one winner. Inca works with people of all ages, in so many different environments, and does so much to improve their quality of life. We’d like to congratulate Sheena and Inca, and hope they enjoy their prize.

“HiLife has been sponsoring this award for a long time now and we can safely say it’s one of the highlights of the year. It’s such a pleasure to hear the stories, and we never fail to be amazed at the dedication all the nominees show.”

Inca and Sheena were presented with a cheque for £500 and a three-month supply of HiLife goodies.

Pet owners interested in becoming a Pets As Therapy volunteer, can visit www.petsastherapy.org or call 01494 569130 for information.

For more on HiLife, including its full range of dog and cat food, visit www.hilifepet.co.uk.