This year’s Westminster Dog of the Year gets underway shortly. The aim is to celebrate that great bond between dog and human and to promote responsible dog ownership.

Last year, the Liberal Democrats were represented by Tessa Munt and Poppy. This year Paul Burstow and Martin Horwood are taking part.

Paul takes part with his dog Indy, who came to them as a rescue dog 4 years ago:

When boss first adopted me, I was a one year old dog with ‘issues.’ I did not believe in recall, I leapt onto chairs, I stole toad, I tried to bite one of the children and I even went upstairs and stole an Easter egg from one of the eldest son’s desk. Now I am a reformed character. Lots of walks and firm boundary setting did the trick.

Martin is taking part with a rescue dog. He was asked which 3 celebrity dog owners he’d invite to a fantasy dinner party. He got away with mentioning 5:

Dr Who

Obelix (would need big dinner)

Bart Simpson (or Homer – that would need lots of beer)

Barack Obama

It’s probably on balance more exciting than Paul’s choices of Barbara Woodhouse, Winston Churchill and Graham Norton.

Anyway, there’s a public vote which you might still catch here. Good luck to Martin and Paul. We’ll update this post with the results later.

Update: It was Diesel who owns Labour MP Rob Flello who came out on top. See the Daily Politics video here:

I just want Martin Horwood’s cute little rescue dog George.