MELKSHAM firm Forces Reunited have named their sponsored puppy which will be trained by charity Veterans with Dogs as an assistance dog.

After asking members to submit name suggestions via email and Facebook, a shortlist of the five most popular was made, and a further vote was put to members before Tommy was finally chosen.

Hundreds of members submitted names, including where it originated from or the meaning behind their choice. As the pup was born in January Janus seemed very popular but there were many solid military suggestions as well such as Major and Winston, as well as Victor, Trekker and Marley. Founder of Veterans With Dogs Craig MacLellan, has decided to take the puppy and train it himself until it’s ready to be handed over to a veteran in need of an Assistance Dog.

Craig said, "Forces Reunited was our first sponsor so I felt it was really important for me to train their puppy as they have also committed to supporting him financially right up until he's handed over to a veteran. I'm looking forward to introducing him to the Forces Reunited team in the coming weeks and will be sharing lots of updates about the puppy's training over the year."

Craig has his own assistance dog, Boo, and said: “Without her, I couldn’t lead a normal life.

“If I wake from a nightmare, I shout the word ‘light’ and Boo turns it on. When I sense a panic attack coming on, I have a safe command that means I can kneel down and Boo will jump up and put her paws around my neck, helping to calm me down quickly. Boo also has a means of reducing my hypervigilance and, if I’m in a public place where I feel I can’t cope, I give a simple command for Boo to steer me out of there.”

Forces Reunited will keep members updated with regular photographs of Tommy as he grows and continues with the training plan.