A terminally ill cat and a recycling dog have fought off strong competition to win a local vet’s competition.

Grey moggy Rosie, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer and has survived Christmas against all odds, has defeated 172 other contestants to be crowned one of the “faces of Fernside Vets”.

Rosie’s owner, Katy Waters, 41, who is an account manager, said: “What a celebration winning this competition is. I’m ecstatic. Rosie is like my baby so I am a very proud mummy.”

The competition, run by Fernside Vets in Shenley Road, was run to find animals to appear on the back of the Borehamwood clinic’s vaccination cards.

Hundreds of votes were counted on the vets’ Facebook page.

The dogs’ category was won by Rolo, a local chocolate Labrador who we featured last year when he was thanked by the council for his services to recycling. 

Rolo’s owner, 48-year old Sara Brady of Spring Close, Borehamwood said: “I haven’t stopped grinning from ear to ear since I heard.”

The twelve most popular entries to the competition will also feature in a special calendar produced for charity “Hounds for Heroes”, which provides disabled ex-servicemen with assistance dogs.