A DOG-LOVING teenager battling cancer has won a major award.

Lauren Ashby scooped the Young Kennel Club Young Person of the Year title at Crufts.

Lauren was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma Stage 3 in January last year when she was just 13.

The cancer was in her neck, throat, chest and spleen.

After undergoing surgery a few weeks later, Lauren started the painful and exhausting process of chemotherapy for six months.

Since being nominated, her cancer has returned and she will be having further treatment.

She said of the honour: “It was amazing – I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it.

“I am just so amazed to win against the others who were all so great.”

Lauren, from Horsham, has always been dog mad.

She started taking part in agility classes three years ago with the family cocker/springer spaniel cross Meg and became instantly hooked.

After she got Percy, a cocker spaniel/poodle cross in the summer of 2016, she began training him as soon as she could.

But just seven months after they started training she was diagnosed and her life changed for ever.

She said: “Percy and I are best friends – he is just a lovely dog.

“Doing agility training while having chemo has kept me going.

“I really enjoy it and it gives me something to focus on.

“Percy can always tell when I am ill or upset.

“He is really funny and he always makes me laugh. I would say to anyone else in my position, not to give up.”

Throughout the chemotherapy and surgery she set herself goals to reach with Meg and Percy.