Animal charity the SSPCA are calling on Lanarkshire residents to celebrate their pets during Scottish Animal Week 2021.
Scotland’s animal welfare cause hosts the week annually in September, and this year are taking the opportunity to celebrate the animals who have been there for people when they needed them the most.
This year, the event will run from September 13 to 19, with animal lover and ambassador Gail Porter helping to launch the week by asking the public to shine a light on the animals in their life.
The Society, with an animal rescue centre in Hamilton, hopes to raise funds for Scotland’s animals by asking the public to share how their pets have helped them through lockdown and the important role they play in their lives.
Stories will then be displayed on the Society’s ‘hall of fame’ webpage, and be entered into a draw to win prizes including six-months-worth of pet food.
Sine the start of the pandemic the Society has continued to rescue and look after animals throughout, caring for 7325 domestic animals across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres since March last year.
They were successfully able to remove 2038 animals from situations where they were being mistreated or neglected, and have found loving forever homes for 4769 animals, 1033 of those from the centre in Lanarkshire, including dogs like Winnie.
Scottish SPCA centre manager, Gillian Boyle, said: "The public may remember Winnie coming in to our care in August 2020, after being found dumped at the side of the road with nine labradoodles.
"Some of the animals were roaming loose, while others had been shut in a derelict building.
"They were all in an appalling condition.
"After the amazing work of our teams, they have now all found their loving forever homes including Winnie, who was with us for four months before she was ready to start her new chapter.
"She found the perfect home with one of our volunteers, and we’re told she is doing fantastically well and is a total ray of sunshine!
"They also had a DNA test which revealed she was in fact 100 per cent a standard poodle all along!
"I am proud to celebrate animals like Winnie this Scottish Animal Week, and our dedicated teams who work tirelessly to help them become the best versions of themselves."
As well as Scots TV presenter Gail Porter, former Celtic star and current Arsenal and Scotland defender Kieran Tierney is also an SSPCA ambassador.
People can find out more about supporting Scotland’s animals this Scottish Animal Week here.