West Ham MP Lyn Brown’s Cara needs your help to be Parliament’s top dog

Melissa York, Reporter Thursday, September 13, 2012
10:00 AM

West Ham MP Lyn Brown need your vote - to make sure cutey Cara is the top dog in Parliament!

Cara, who lives in Plaistow with her owner Lyn Brown MP.

The Westminster Dog of the Year competition is open to all parliamentarians’ dogs, regardless of breed or political persuasion, and this year Cara, who lives with her owner in Plaistow, needs some local support.

The one-year-old steel and tan Yorkshire terrier told The Kennel Club online that she loves coming to surgery and being cuddled by constituents.

Cara also said that West Ham is the best constituency because “It has great people who understand the need to fuss me.”

Clarissa Baldwin, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, explains: “The Westminster Dog of the Year competition is so much more than a canine beauty pageant.

“The competition is strictly apolitical; judges will be looking for the dogs’ good deeds and devotion to their owner – rather than policies, opinions or ‘bottle’.”

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, continued; “The serious side of this competition is about MPs getting together with the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust to promote responsible dog ownership and develop a partnership on dog welfare issues.

“The competition itself is light-hearted and an entertaining day out - not least because of the unusual criteria on which the dogs are judged!”

The Dogs Trust and Kennel Club, who run the competition, will announce the winner at Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster, on October 25.

Last year’s winner was Wilberforce, owned by Neil Parish MP for Tiverton and Honiton.

To vote for Lyn Brown MP and her dog Cara, visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4484.