A COURAGEOUS Jack Russell terrier has been presented with a bravery award from Okeford Veterinary Centre in Okehampton.

The winner of the centre's monthly Braveheart Award for July was Buttons, a five year old terrier, suffering from aspergillosis.

The fungal infection develops in the nose and sinuses of dogs or cats, with symptoms including a discharge from the nose, with ulceration and pain around the facial area.

Buttons has undergone three anaesthetics to assess the condition and flush out his nostrils with an anti-fungal agent to help beat the problem.

This is not the first time Buttons has shown such bravery — he fell down an open mine shaft when he lived in South Africa, dislocating his hip.

Although Buttons still sneezes from time to time, the treatment has made him much happier and more lively.