TRIBUTES have poured in for Portishead animal lover Mandy Blake who died on August 24 after a short battle with cancer.

The former Gordano School pupil and owner of Portishead’s Best Behaved Dog Training School in Bristol Road, was 47.

Mandy ran her popular dog training business for almost 30 years and made a huge number of friends in the community during that time.

Her mum Mary said: “Mandy will be missed by so many people, she was a wonderful person whose life centered around animals.

“Her love of animals started early and even at the age of one-year-old, she was not deterred when a rabbit bit the end of her finger off. Within an hour of having her wound dressed she was chasing cats around the garden laughing.

“She loved being surrounded by animals, she loved them and they loved her.”

Mandy helped set up the Woodspring Animal Support Project (WASP) and over the years worked on both TV and radio shows.

In 2006 she won the Scrufts dog show with her bearded collie cross Dylan.

Mandy’s funeral will take place at St Peter’s Church, Church Road South in Portishead at 2.30pm tomorrow (Thurs).