Two retired military dogs have become the face of Pets at Home’s new Remembrance poppy range developed exclusively with The Royal British Legion.
Billie, 8, a Labrador, and Buster, 7, a German Shepherd, who both recently retired from serving in the military returned to the Defence Animal Training Regiment in Melton Mowbray to take part in an exclusive photoshoot.
The two hero dogs were given the chance to proudly model a new range of poppy-themed pet accessories, created to support the Armed Forces charity, in the Centenary year of the end of the First World War.
Billie, who retired three days before Christmas last year, served as a vehicle search dog and Buster trained as an RAF Police dog. This week, however, they turned their paws to modelling the three new pet accessories, of which 100% of the profits* go to The Royal British Legion.
The range features a Poppy Collar Charm that fits seamlessly on to any dog or cat collar or horse harness, a Poppy Bandana, featuring a poppy print that also fits on to any collar and a Poppy Bowtie, perfect for an official engagement.
Billie and Buster’s owner Claire Martin, 33, who served in the Veterinary Corp until 2010 before becoming a Senior Instructional Officer was on hand to see her two dogs strut their stuff in the photoshoot. She said: “I’m so proud of both Billie and Buster, they definitely weren’t camera shy and they looked honoured to be wearing their Remembrance poppy accessories.
“Remembrance Day is chance for us to remember those who lost their lives securing our freedom and it’s fantastic that pet owners can now get involved whilst also raising money for such a worthy cause.”
Peter Pritchard, Group CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland to help the UK’s pets support such fantastic charities.
“Heroes Billie and Buster both looked sensational in their poppy attire and we are so proud to have them model our range.
“We are already absolutely staggered by the response of our customers and their pets to our poppy range – all three products are flying off the shelves faster than we could ever have hoped so we are thrilled. We’ve now ordered more stock of the accessories to cope with demand and urge customers to get their hands on them before they sell out again."
The Royal British Legion provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces community - serving men and women, veterans, and their families. Their diverse range of services covers employment, finance, independent living, respite, recovery and care. They either offer services directly, or work with partners to direct support wherever and whenever it’s needed.
