Campaign poster design wins Charlotte, 11, the title Junior Canine Carer (From Watford Observer)

Campaign poster design wins Charlotte, 11, the title Junior Canine Carer

3:13pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News By Adam Binnie

A young animal lover's poster design has won her the chance to be shown around the Dogs Trust centre near Rickmansworth.

Charlotte Dunkerley is one of five children to have been awarded the title of Junior Canine Carer by the charity.

Children aged seven to 11 were asked to design a poster to illustrate the Dogs Trust's campaign "a dog is not a toy".

The 11-year-old from St Albans beat more than 450 other entries to win a day at the Dogs Trust centre in Harefield, and a bag of prizes, including the "nintendogs and cats" game.

Caroline, mother, said: "Charlotte absolutely loves dogs and had great fun creating her poster. She has been counting down the days until visiting Dogs Trust West London and she loved every minute of helping the team.

"She has already expressed an interest in becoming a vet when she is older so I know that visiting the Dogs Trust will have really inspired her."

The "a dog is not a toy" campaign is a response to the trend of dogs being treated as fashion accessories and carried around in handbags.

The Dogs Trust has seen a 28 per cent rise in the number of these dogs being handed to rehoming centres in the last five years, most of them less than a year old.

Charlotte Peters, Dogs Trust education officer, said: "Charlotte’s entry stood out from all the others for its beautiful design and unique poem.

"It was so eye-catching and really captured the essence of the message that a dog is not a toy."