Voting is open for the first ever Senedd Dog of the Year competition and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar is keen for people to vote for his adorable rescue dog Blue.

Following the success of Westminster’s and Holyrood’s favourite canine event,  the Kennel Club are holding the inaugural Senedd Dog of the Year competition, which will take place at Britannia Park in Cardiff later this month.

Senedd Dog of the Year, organised by the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust, is open to all MSs, regardless of breed or ‘pawlitical’ persuasion, and aims to showcase dogs as an important member of the family.

The competition celebrates the unique bond between dogs and their owners, and aims to promote responsible dog ownership.

Appealing to people to vote for his whippet Blue, Darren said:

“Blue is very loving, affectionate and cheeky!

“He is a rescue dog and come to live with us when he was 9 months old.

“In his younger days he was always the fastest animal in the local parks and loved nothing more than to rocket along the sandy beach in Kinmel Bay.

“Unfortunately, he had to have surgery on his knee following a cruciate ligament problem during the Covid pandemic and suffered a stroke in February last year. He recovered well from both butt is now much slower than he was. He is just as loving as he ever was but spends most of his time sleeping, bar a short walk, or a sniff around the garden.

“Blue really is a tonic at the end of a busy and long day. He always gets excited when any member of the family gets home, welcoming us with a wagging tail and leading us to the place where we keep his treats and biscuits!

“Blue had a tough start to life but has given us so much love over the years. We’d love to see him recognised in this way on behalf of rescue dogs everywhere!”

To vote for Blue visit Senedd Dog of the Year | The Kennel Club