THE Mayor of Durham, Councillor Mary Hawgood, met dog lovers at a kennels' open day.

She judged the Scruffs dog show and chatted to local primary school pupils learning about good dog ownership at the event at Deerness Kennels, Langley Moor.

The event was attended by various organisations with an interest in looking after man's best friend.

Ian Young, from the International Service Dog Fund, takes dogs, usually strays or from shelters, and trains them to become service dogs to help disabled people become more independent.

He said: "At the moment I am training a Labrador cross called Ceilidh. She was a stray but has the perfect temperament to become a service dog to help someone in their daily life."

It takes about six months to get a dog fully trained and Mr Young talks to the future owners to find out exactly what they want from the dog.

He said: "The lady who will get Ceilidh is wheelchair-bound and wants her to retrieve anything she drops.

"Also, I will train her to pull the emergency cord in the house if the lady is in difficulty."