Westport Veterinary Clinic has run a fourth year of their popular ‘Gift of Kindness’ Campaign.
They asked both their clients – and the public, to nominate cats and dogs who they felt deserved to receive a ‘Gift of Kindness’ this Christmas. Five cats and five dogs are then chosen, and working with local business Waggy Bags, they gift the ten deserving pets in time for Christmas.
This year pets received Gifts of Kindness in: Linlithgow, Bo’ness, South Queensferry, Winchburgh, Edinburgh, Broxburn, Slamanan and Strathmiglo.
The Gift of Kindness Campaign was created in 2022, as a way to give special and deserving pets an extra treat for Christmas. Via a social media campaign, we ask for nominations of pets who deserve to receive a special Gift of Kindness this Christmas. Whether this was people’s own pets for making them smile everyday, or a pet who’s companionship means the world to them – or to someone they knew. It may be the animal or owner has been through a tough time and that receiving a Gift of Kindness for Christmas would be a nice surprise and bring them some much needed cheer over the holidays.
Westport Vets:
“This year’s campaign was extremely popular. We received an incredible number of fifty deserving cat and dog nominations – all of which highlight the vital role that the animal bond has in people’s lives.”
“From pets who improve the lives of others, to those who have brought much needed comfort and companionship. Some were about how animals have supported their owners through health issues and bringing companionship through bereavement. Some were about the animals who have faced their own health battles with bravery. Every nomination was so touching to read, and each one was deserving for the support, and the joy, they bring to their owners every day.”
Westport Veterinary Senior Vet and Managing Director, Stuart McMorrow, picked the winners. Picking 10 winners from this year’s 50 nominations was not an easy task!
Vet Stuart McMorrow says:
“It was genuinely hard to choose. There were so many lovely nominations and every single pet could have been a winner. In the end, I picked the ones whose stories really stood out in terms of the support they give their families, what they’ve been through, and the kindness they bring to everyday life. We’re very lucky at Westport to look after pets like these.”
The Gift of Kindness 2025 Winners:
Tinkerbell – the lifesaver
Rottweiller Tinkerbell was nominated by her owner Laura:
“My dog’s name is Tinkerbell, she is a 6 year old Rottweiler. I would like to nominate Tinkerbell as a hero as she has donated blood 12 times with the pet blood bank. She is literally a life saver. She has helped save up to 56 dog’s lives.”
“All my dogs have donated for the pet blood bank for the past 10 years. It all started with Tinker’s gran who was the first one to donate.”
Cosmo – the therapy cat
Short-haired Domestic cat Cosmo was nominated by her owner Donna:
“I would like to nominate Cosmo as she truly is my best friend. I suffer from chronic pain condition Fibromyalgia and spend some days in bed. I am not in bed every day but do have flare ups and can be in bed for a day or a week, it just depends. Cosmo is always by my side cuddling in and just making me laugh with her funny little ways. She really is like my wee therapy pet on my worse days.”
Betty – the hearing dog
Chihuahua and Jack Russell Mix Betty was nominated by her owner Lisa:
“Betty is incredibly special to me because she supports me as a Deaf person, she alerts me to sounds and helps keep me aware of everything happening around me. She truly makes my life safer and brighter every day.”
“Thank you again for this wonderful recognition, it means so much to both of us.”
Daisy-May – the cat who brings sunshine to life
Ragdoll cat Daisy-May was nominated by her owner Audrey:
“Little Daisy has been through so much in her 2 years. My husband has become terminally ill with MND, and I think she senses this change as he cannot longer play with her etc. Daisy keeps us smiling in the dark days and is a companion daily for my husband when I am at work . We are having to have work adaptations done in the home as well. So, she has become very stressed during these times as well. Her whole comfort and safe places and now having to be moved and very distressing for her and us.”
“Times are tough for both her and ourselves, and she deserves a treat. She is our sunshine in this sad / stressful time.”
– The families home adaptions have been made possible by the kindness of others, through their fundraising on Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/
Loki – the dog who brings love and joy
German Shepherd Loki was nominated by his owner Lisa:
“Loki is my own puppy, over the last 9 years I have lost all 6 of my pregnancies, I became very unsociable and stayed in the house all the time grieving the loss of my babies, I would work from home a lot which also meant I wasn’t leaving the house for days at a time, since I have brought Loki home, he makes me smile every day.”
“Building a bond with my beautiful boy brings me so much love and having that little man that loves and relies on my brings me so much joy , I am out walking with Loki every day enjoying the fresh air as much as he is, people who pass by always want to say hello to him which also gets me talking and becoming sociable again.”
“I am so grateful to my little Loki. Loki is my wee saviour and the reason I can smile every day again.”
Coco – the brave cat who brings love and affection
Domestic Cat Coco (a long haired moggy and a rescue kitty all the way from South Africa) was nominated by her owner Michelle:
“This year has been incredibly challenging for Coco. Following her Injection Site Sarcoma diagnosis, Coco has had to endure several traumatic and very painful medical procedures. As a naturally anxious cat, Coco has really struggled and hated her long nine day stay at the Small Animal Hospital in Roslin. Despite everything she has endured, Coco continues to be the most loving cat always looking for ways to share her kindness and warmth. Several of the members of staff at the University Hospital commented on her beautiful nature and she became a popular patient early on.”
“At home she continues to give us lots of love, even grooming her furry sister, Dora and helping to put her human sisters to bed every evening. Through the challenges of 2025, one would understand or even expect Coco to become more reserved and somewhat distant. But the opposite has happened, since coming home she has been more engaged than ever, ensuring she gives us lots of snuggles and licks throughout each day, even when she hasn’t been feeling great! “
Cockapoo Molly was nominated by her owner Helen:
Molly – the dog who takes everything in life in her stride
“I have nominated our lovely girl Molly because of how she has managed her many medical challenges in her life. It is her eighth birthday tomorrow and medically she has been through a lot.”
“Stuart operated on her for the first time at nine weeks to redirect her front teeth.
Over the years since then, she has had a number of anaesthetics. Alas, she required two separate surgeries to mend her two Cruciate ligaments, one on each leg. The second one this year. She suffers from arthritis and when recovering from these ops she needed both acupuncture and physio. Each time she was crated for 8 long, hard weeks.”
“Molly once suffered from dry eyes and her situation continued to worsen and became infected. Stuart advised that these infections would eventually attack her eyes so badly that she would need to have both her eyes removed. He gave us a little hope by suggesting that he could operate on Molly by redirecting her salivary glands to her eyes, enabling her eyes to be liquified with her saliva. We agonised and asked Stuart to please operate on her eyes and this has resulted in her cheeks constantly being wet – but her eye infections have stopped and most importantly she still has her lovely brown eyes.“
“Recently we have had three visits to West Port due to problems with her anal glands.
Our poor girl just seems to take each medical issue in her stride and has made things as easy as possible for her mum and dad. We all love our Molly.”
Rudi – the cat who had a bad start to life that makes his owner smile
Ragdoll cat Rudi was nominated by his owner:
“Born into this world just under 2 years ago by an unethical breeder, he arrived scratching ear mites out, ribcage on show. To add to his list of woes, bless his heart, he can only eat one type of gastrointestinal dry food due to digestion issues. Speaking of hearts, his has a grade 5 of 6 murmur. All that being said, and with support from Westport… you wouldn’t know it. Despite the rough start, Rudi loves nothing more than playing with his toys, sneaking under the bed for naps, a daily groom and licking every new person he meets.”
“Rudi misses out on a lot to keep him healthy – no wet food, no creamy dreamies, no lil scraps off his mum and dads plate. I love my wee man, he makes me smile and is my work from home apprentice every day of the week. He deserves the world, but providing the “Moggy bag” isn’t too heavy on wet/adventurous food, it would go great with his tower of Amazon boxes.”
Maggie – the brave dog who brings friendship and joy to others
Labrador Maggie was nominated by her dog walker Andrea:
“I’d love for Maggie to receive a gift of kindness. Maggie is 8 years old and started to lose her sight a couple of years ago. Diagnosed with a condition that attacks the retina, Maggie has adjusted so well, she’s an absolute trooper. She still comes out for walks everyday, we stick to the same route as she’s big on routine. I wear bells so she can hear me. She has a wee team of best friends who all watch out for her.”
Maggie’s owner Lindsey says:
“She really is truly amazing. We have been on such a journey with her since her eyesight started to go 2 years ago. And when it completely went, we just adjusted everything for her in her life to make her as comfortable and safe, and happy and confident as she could be with so much love and affection and patience.
It was so incredibly difficult to begin with but she has so much character and so much determination. Her confidence levels have grown so much over the last year thanks to routine, talking to Maggie constantly, learning new commands, bells for noise, so she knows where we are, keeping our house layout exactly the same and of course the amazing help of our dog walker Andrea, from Andrea’s Animals, who has not stopped taking her out on her doggie walks with all her doggie chums. That has really helped to keep Maggie’s spirits up and we could not be more thankful to Andrea.”
“Thank you again for your amazing generosity.”
Oscar – the fabulous cat living life to the fullest
Tabby cat Oscar was nominated by his owner Helen:
“Our thoroughly amazing Oscar who is now 20 years old! He’s a truly handsome Tabby Cat, a fabulous companion to us, especially since our Tara, on Friday 13th June this year, went suddenly and unexpectedly, to Rainbow Bridge. He was 6yr old when Tara arrived, they were very good together! Although fair games of zoomies or chasing in the garden, by both I might add but 14 years of being Pals! Oscar’s old age means fewer teeth, and he’s stone deaf, though understands all our hand gestures, yet remains remarkably agile. Several times daily walks along our 6ft garden fence, jumping down to the patio no problem! Jumps up on our car to access the outside windowsill, so as to survey all outside!”
“We worry how many Christmas times we will have him now, being the age he’s already reached. So a nomination for this fabulous feline is our vote! Thanks for this opportunity!”
The Gifts of Kindness:
The winners of the Gift of Kindness each received a goodie bag of items from local business Waggy Bags. Each dog received a ‘Deluxe Waggy Bag’ (deluxe dog goodie bag), and the cats each received a ‘Moggy Bag’ (cat goodie bag). Treating a total of 10 deserving pets in time for Christmas.
Westport Vet’s say:
“The Gift of Kindness is a lovely campaign, being able to provide some extra cheer to such deserving pets for Christmas. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part – we are truly humbled at just how many entries there were this year, so many people took the time to share their incredible stories with us. We hope our amazing winners all have fun with their gifts, and that everyone has a kind and happy Christmas.”
