GEMMA, the caring collie who is a constant companion to her disabled Kidderminster owner, has been watching what she eats and has now managed to shed more than eight kilos - winning her a place in a slimming competition.

The nine-year-old border collie, who never leaves the side of her wheelchair-bound owner, Joan Woolley, has beaten off some "weighty" competition to make it through to the regional finals of the Hills Pet Slimmer of the Year Competition.

Nobody is more pleased than proud owner, Mrs Woolley, of The Orchard, Franche. She suffers from multiple sclerosis, is registered blind, and uses a wheelchair.

"I rely on her for company when my husband is at work," said Mrs Woolley.

Gemma had even alerted callers at the house when Mrs Woolley was stranded when her wheelchair had broken down. "She just kept barking and they rang my husband," Mrs Woolley said.

But Gemma's downfall was her love of titbits and cups of tea.

Mrs Wolley said: "In January, they weighed her at the vets and she was 28 kilos. They said she really needed to lose weight or it would shorten her life."

Dietary advice from veterinary nurse, Liz Tyler, at the weight clinic at the Vale Vet Group in Areley Kings resulted in Gemma swapping the Bonios and cups of tea for pieces of carrot, cucumber and apple.

Coupled with Mrs Woolley's husband, Brian, taking her on more walks, Gemma is no longer supersized and now weighs in at a svelte 19 and a half kilos.

Mrs Tyler said: "We have quite a few dogs which lose a lot of weight but Gemma has done particularly well.

"She beat off competition from all over the region to get though to the finals."

The competition will go ahead today.