A new scheme launches nationwide today, which is dedicated to celebrating the nation’s most amazing animals.
House and pet sitting business, TrustedHousesitters, launches ‘Pet Plaques’ to commemorate the achievements made by our beloved companions. The green plaques will be placed on homes across the country, each one including a brief description of the animal’s accomplishment as well as added ears to set the plaque apart from others.
With no such scheme being solely dedicated to animals, the plaques will recognise cherished pets in the same way noteworthy men and women have been for over 150 years, giving deserving animals their own place in history
Research by the brand also helped to inspire the reason behind launching a plaque scheme solely for pets, as it revealed that some of the nation’s animal owners value their pets just as much, if not more, than friends or family. One in five (21%) UK pet owners admit that they would rather spend time with their pet, than their partner, and just over a third (35%) even admitted that they would rather be with their pet than their friends.
Amongst the very first being honoured with a plaque are:
Walnut the Whippet
Walnut’s story warmed the hearts of a nation and quickly made headlines, when his owner, Mark, sent an open invitation for fellow dog lovers to join them on their final walk. From across the country, hundreds of two and four-legged friends travelled to Walnut’s favourite beach to walk alongside him and say farewell before he was laid to rest.
Smudge the Cat
When Ethan Fenton, 9, was being picked on by bullies, his heroic cat Smudge didn’t stand back and purr. Instead, the feline took action, pouncing on the chest of one of the bigger bullies, who had pushed frightened Ethan to the ground. Shocked by Smudge’s smart move, the boy and his friends then ran away finally leaving Ethan alone.
Flora the ‘Dog Doctor’
Before meeting Flora, her owner Robert was diagnosed with cardiac syncope. The condition causes temporary loss of consciousness and can consequently lead to near-fatal situations. Fortunately for Robert, as well as becoming a multi-award winner at Crufts, his new Akita developed a life-saving sense of smell that could predict his oncoming blackouts.
Tim Lyons, Managing Director at TrustedHousesitters said, “There are countless stories across the country of pets who have a special bond with their owners or do something incredibly heroic.
“For over 150 years we have honoured deserving people with blue plaques, we felt it was time to celebrate the nation’s love for our animals by honouring them in a similar way. We’re now looking forward to hearing more inspirational tales of cherished pets as the scheme continues to grow.”
Over 20 plaques have so far been placed on homes all over the UK. For stories and locations of the current markers, or to nominate your own pet to be one of the next in line to receive a plaque, please visit their website
Images by Nigel Davies Photography / TrustedHousesitters
