A pack of almost perfect pooches, including a greyhound bound for the scrap heap and a bomb detecting Labrador, have scooped top prizes in the dog Oscars.

It might sound like a shaggy-dog story, but seven-stone greyhound Joe the Giant was saved after being abandoned at the end of his racing career.

Owner Denise Stovell, 42, of Lancing, helped get the former Hove stadium competitor back on track.

Just 18-months after being taken into an animal rescue centre, Joe the Giant won a gold medal in the racing category at Crufts.

Meanwhile puppy Marley and her grandmother Diva proved that good looks run in the family by winning first and second prize in their categories.

Owner Sandy Rothery, of Herbert Road, Sompting, near Lancing, said she was 'ecstatic' at the success of her Burnese mountain dogs.