A LABRADOR who was rehomed because she was unable to endure the stress of being a hunting dog has won an award.

Devon has been adopted by dog trainer Annette Gibson from Burnham-On-Sea.

She was traumatised by the sound of guns, having been trained as a hunting dog as a puppy.

But aged just 10 months she collapsed on one of the shoots and was rehomed, undergoing a complete transformation.

Just over a year on, Annette entered Devon into the qualifying competition for Best Rescue/Rehomed Dog for the prestigious Buckham Fair, run by TV star Martin Clunes.

Devon passed the qualifying round in Ilminster on May 7 with flying colours, and Annette said given her background it was quite an achievement.

Now she will take part in the full show to be held in Beaminster, Dorset in August.

Following Devon’s collapse she was brought to the South West England Labrador Trust where Annette was a volunteer.

“When I first got Devon she was on all sorts of different medication and was quite spaced out,” Mrs Gibson said.

“I was fostering her at first but I got so attached to her that I’ve since adopted her.”

Mrs Gibson said that Devon had been off medication for more than a year now and was ‘completely transformed’.

“I take her to obedience classes and agility classes and we also go into a couple of the old people’s homes so they can pet her. They love to see her and she enjoys going in and being made a fuss of.”

“She was up against 17 other competitors in the Rescue Dog category so it really is quite an achievement to make it through the Buckham Fair.”

Devon is not Annette’s first successful dog, as her Labrador, Daisy, picked up a prize at Crufts held in Birmingham’s NEC Arena last March.

Daisy, four, won first prize in the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme special pre-beginner Obedience stake in Britain’s biggest dog show.

Daisy was also rescued from the Labrador Trust in Bridgwater when she was just a little puppy.