Nominate a pet hero for the Blue Cross Medal

The Blue Cross is celebrating 100 years of veterinary care in the capital by reinstating The Blue Cross Medal.

The pet charity is inviting nominations from the owners or handlers of animals that live or work in the capital, and have come to the aid of a human or animal life. Nominations can include assistance animals, forces or working animals, bravery stories or life changing partnerships. A winner will be chosen by a panel of judges to receive the medal at the end of the year. The medal has been revived for one year only to mark the centenary of the country's oldest continually running animal hospital.

Head veterinary surgeon at the hospital Jess Gower said: "We hope that Londoners will nominate animals they feel deserve special recognition due to their bravery or because of what their pet has brought to their lives. We feel this is a fitting tribute to 100 years of veterinary care that The Blue Cross has provided for the capital's needy animals."

Nominations are made by filling in the form that can be found on our website www.bluecross.org.uk. Nominated animals must either live or work in a London borough to qualify.

The Blue Cross has a tradition of recognising both animals and people for extraordinary acts since the charity opened its first animal hospital. In 1906 the first Blue Cross Medal was presented to the daughter of a postman and was expanded in 1940 to recognise animal bravery.

Over the past 100 years, the animal hospital and its staff have developed to meet the capital's changing animal welfare needs - it was originally opened to treat the working horses that were a common sight on London's streets at the turn of the century. Today the hospital cares for the pets of a diverse mix of owners who cannot afford private veterinary fees and provides a number of outreach services including a mobile clinic and community nurse scheme.

Make your nomination by submitting the Blue Cross Medal nomination form

*Forms must be submitted by the closing date: Friday 17 November 2006*