A YOUNG Burnham girl with cerebral palsy has been given a prestigious award for dog owners. Steph Jeffries, aged 10, is being presented with the Shaun McAlpine Award, the highest honour a young dog owner can receive, at Crufts in March. Steph's mum, Ann

A YOUNG Burnham girl with cerebral palsy has been given a prestigious award for dog owners. Steph Jeffries, aged 10, is being presented with the Shaun McAlpine Award, the highest honour a young dog owner can receive, at Crufts in March. Steph's mum, Ann, said: "Since she found out, Steph has been permanently attached to the ceiling. She's so excited to be going to Crufts with her dog Kimmy."To enter the competition, Steph and her mum filled in an application sent to them by the Young Kennel Club. Ann filled in the form while Steph dictated to her what she wanted to say. When the form asked 'why do you want to do this?' Steph told her mum: "I just want to show other disabled children that if there is something they want to achieve and it is within their reach, they should go for it." The trophy is awarded annually to encourage young dog owners to become more involved in caring for their pets. Steph will attend a special ceremony at Crufts at Birmingham NEC on March 11 to receive her prize and to spend a day with dog trainer Mary Ray. She will then take part in a display with the Pets as Therapy team.