AN animal lover from the North-East has launched a special day to remember pets who have died.

The first-ever National Pet Remembrance Day is on Sunday and was created by Marie Carter, who lives near Durham City.

She said it was to celebrate the increasing number of ways in which to commemorate past pets.

Ms Carter, editor of Pets Magazine, said: "Grieving for a pet is gradually becoming widely accepted, and acceptable, but many people still don't understand that for many pet owners, dogs and cats in particular, are now regarded as family members.

“There is a real need to recognise that, and for relatives, friends and employers to take into account the real, and often overwhelming, sense of grief that a pet owner can feel upon the death of a beloved companion animal. “This is why we, Pets Magazine in conjunction with 3D print specialist Arty Lobster, wanted to set up a special day to remember them.

“We’ve had lots of interest so far, including celebrity retweets and people thanking us for setting this up. We’re hoping that the day will become a fixture in the calendar and will be celebrated by more people every year.”

People are now being invited to submit photos of their deceased companion animals until midnight on Sunday together with a sentence or two about why they miss them.

All entries will be submitted into a competition to win one 3D sculpture of the pet by Pet Remembrance Day partner Arty Lobster (www.artylobster.com). To enter, please post to Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ArtyLobster or tweet using hashtag #PetRemembranceDay.