A CARING Bridgwater woman who gave up her time to help turn around the life of a deaf dog has been acknowledged for her efforts.

Animal lover Sally Wood beat four finalists to win an Outstanding Achievement Award for her dedication to dogs following the work she did to train boxer puppy Lilly.

The Royal Canin prize is designed to reward someone who has shown outstanding commitment to responsible dog ownership through the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme.

Sally, who was announced as the winner during an awards ceremony in London’s Mayfair, said: “I am touched to have won this award.

“Seeing Lilly enjoy her training and all the new exercises she has learned really is its own reward, so to be recognised by the Kennel Club and Royal Canin for all the hard work we have put in is a lovely feeling.

“My experiences with Lilly go to show that any dog has the potential to be trained well if you put in the effort.

“We are looking forward to working on achieving the Silver Award next and I am confident that Lilly can do it.”

In September 2012, Sally brought home the white boxer puppy, who was deaf.

Aided by research into training deaf dogs and Somerset Dog Training, Sally set about training her new four-legged friend.

Her reward-based training saw Lilly learn steadily, and eventually pass her Bronze Good Citizen Dog Scheme Award, as part of the largest dog training scheme in the UK.

Mike Townsend, Kennel Club vice chairman, said: “We are thrilled to announce Sally as the winner of the this award.

“Those who voted obviously recognised the fantastic work Sally has done for the world of dogs, notably her dedication to training Lilly, and she should be exceptionally proud of her achievements.”