Zaila Dubar beat off thousands of competitors to be in the running to win ‘Vet of the year’

An animal lover who has dedicated her life caring for poorly animals in the borough has been shortlisted for a prestigious veterinary ward.

Zaila Dunbar, who works at Queens Park Veterinary Clinic in Londsale Road, Queens Park, beat off nearly 3,000 competitors to be in with a chance of claiming the title of Vet of the Year.

The vet, who has worked at the surgery for seven years, will now go head to head with two other vets at the awards ceremony on April 12.

Known as the ‘Oscars’ of the veterinary world the award aims to find the nations most exceptional vet and the delighted 36-year-old said she was ‘delighted and honoured’ to have been shortlisted.

She added: “I didn’t realise how much of a difference I made to people’s lives until I read the comments from clients and colleagues saying why they were nominating me.”

Ms Dunbar will travel to Birmingham on April 12 where she will find out if she has been crowned the nations favourite at a glittering award ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall hosted by TV comedian Sean Walsh.

Isabella von Mesterhazy, head of marketing at PetPlan, who organise the awards, hailed the event as the highlight of their calendar.

She added: “These awards recognise the dedication that the veterinary industry puts into providing the nation’s pets with the best possible treatment.

“We had over 3,000 nominations and each year they reach an even higher standard.”