THE winner of Plum Grove's inaugural WA Farm Dog of the Year has been announced, with five-year old kelpie Jess from Bodallin winning the competition.
The dog is owned by Kevin and Lara Kent and was submitted into the competition by their 14-year-old son Clay.
Developed by a Perth marketing and media agency, Media 365, on behalf of Plum Grove, the competition celebrates the role of dogs on farms and within farming families.
Contestants were required to send in video footage of dogs at work, along with a few words on what the dogs meant to them.
Media 365 digital strategy manager Derek Edwards said the competition had been wholeheartedly accepted by regional WA and gained a large amount of traction on Facebook.
"We were inundated with videos and people wanting to share their stories," Mr Edwards said.
"Of course, farmers at the moment are under siege with activists that are targeting some of their farms in regards to animal welfare issues, but the broader understanding in the regional community is that they love their animals.
"One senior gentlemen who had been on his farm for years said some of the best farmers he knows have four legs.
"We promoted it in the school holiday season and we had a lot of interest from kids in regional WA - in fact the winning dog and one of the runners up were submitted by kids."
The Kents received a cash prize, trophy and ribbon, while ribbons were also awarded to the top 10 finalists.
With dogs a great distraction against everyday variables of farming, the Kents described Jess as an important and loving member of their family that constantly improved their lives.
The competition is expected to continue as an annual event.
