A COCKER Spaniel from Durham is to be among the dozen stars of a new calendar after winning a public vote to be featured.

Clover will be one of the chosen pooches to appear in the 2021 calendar, jointly produced by leading pet charity Blue Cross and the Daily Star national newspaper.

Backed by celebrities, including Bill Bailey and Michaela Strachan, profits from sales will go to Blue Cross at a time it is expecting to see a spike in pet abandonments.

This is due to the changes in people’s financial situations, coming after the charity reported a 515-per cent increase in demand to rehome pets in May 2020 compared to the same period last year.

Blue Cross CEO Chris Burghes said: “We saw a huge amount of entries from Daily Star readers to get their pets into this fun calendar for next year, so it is a wonderful achievement for Clover to be included.

“It’s another fantastic way for animal-lovers to support Blue Cross at a time when we are expecting to be helping more pets than ever before.

“We know what a tough time it’s been for so many people recently and hopefully this calendar will give people something to enjoy at the end of a difficult year.”

Clover’s owner Danielle Farthing said: “This photo is an action shot of Clover at Luskentyre Beach (on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides).

“Clover is so full of endless love and energy.

“She keeps us on our toes. I couldn’t imagine life without her.”