A MUCH-LOVED family dog that survived a violent close encounter with a lorry is now in the running for a national honour.

Penny the pointer, from Leeming Bar near Bedale, has been selected as a finalist in the PDSA Pet Survivor Awards, which recognise the UK’s most incredible tales of pet survival.

The competition honours the pets’ incredible survival spirit, the love and devotion of their owners and the skill and dedication of the veterinary teams who helped to save their lives.

Penny escaped from the house one evening earlier this year and ran all the way to the A1 where she was hit by a lorry travelling at around 50mph. The driver didn’t stop and left her for dead.

A couple in the car behind witnessed the accident and saw the white dog bounce off the HGV and catapult onto the roadside. They stopped to check and wrapped Penny in their coats, nursing her for over an hour until the police and emergency vet could get there.

Vet Julian Norton took Penny to Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk, but was unable to trace her owner. Penny’s collar had come off in the accident and the microchip database had a digit wrong in the phone number.

“Penny’s front leg was smashed below the shoulder, she urgently needed surgery and I knew the sooner it went ahead the better the chance of saving her leg. I went ahead, deciding I would foot the bill if necessary,” he said.

He operated for three-and-half hours, finishing at 2am. In the morning Penny’s owner Elaine McGregor, who had been searching for hours and was frantic with worry, contacted the surgery and was finally reunited with her beloved pet.

Elaine said: “My worst fears had come true, but I’m so thankful to Julian and those strangers who undoubtedly saved Penny’s life.

“Penny needed months of rest to make sure her leg healed properly, but she seemed to know she had to stay still. Amazingly she has made a full recovery, and loves to run like the wind again.”

The winner of the competition will be selected by public vote via the charity’s website - pdsa.org.uk/petsurvivor. Voting closes on December 13.

Other finalists include: Honey the cat, who was blasted in the face with a marble-sized metal ball-bearing; Ozzy the cat – lost his leg after being attacked by a dog; Ruby the kitten – suffered horrific chemical burns to 50 per cent of her body; Suki the miniature Schnauzer, who was left with prolapsed intestines after a dog attack; and Ziggy the Staffie, who was shot through the head with a crossbow.