A ”grateful and humbled” James Middleton has received a very special award on behalf of his most beloved companions

After marrying his wife, Alizée Thevenet, James Middleton has experienced his second-biggest highlight of the year from his brood of dogs.

The younger brother of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has received an award from the Pet Industry Federation entitled Pet Professional of the year. He was also a finalist for Ella & Co in the category Online Business of the year.

James broke his joyful news on his Instagram, where he revealed one of his dogs bestowed him with the honour on behalf of the organisation.

The 34-year-old posted a black and white photo of himself with his dog as they gazed into each other’s eyes while James held his framed award.

He shared a loving tribute dedicated to his fur babies as he celebrated his monumental achievement.

“From dog dad to Award-Winning dog dad…🥇🐾,” he began.

“My dogs are, I think, completely unaware of their gift to me, but every day I want to tell them how deeply I appreciate the power of their unconditional love and companionship, so I have made it my mission to give back to them, and to be recognised for that is wonderful ❤️.”

Finally, he thanked the Pet Industry Federation for the experience.

“I am so grateful and humbled to have been the recipient of Pet Industry Federation’s ‘Pet Professional of the year’ award and for Ella & Co to be a finalist for Online Business of the Year 2021 🎉,” he wrote.

James’ exciting news comes a week after breaking his informal Instagram hiatus with a selfie featuring one of his dogs.

He gushed about married life in the post and encouraged his followers to take a break from social media.

“And we’re back 🎉 🐾 I’ve been so immersed in embracing & enjoying the first few months of being with my new wife ❤️ I’ve realised I have unintentionally taken a social detox… which I suppose is no bad thing… 🤔,” he penned.

“BUT we are back – hope you don’t mind 🐾.”

James continued: “I highly recommend taking a social media detox from time to time – in fact I believe the saying is disconnect to reconnect.

“Over the last few months many of you have reached out…and thank you for checking up on me it means a lot 🙏😊.”

The youngest child and only son of Carole and Michael Middleton launched his company Ella & Co during the pandemic in 2020, a unique venture aimed at dogs’ happiness and well-being.

James created the quirky concept of freeze-dried raw food for dogs – a super nutritious option made with healthy ingredients and officially approved by nutritionists and vets.

“It’s nearly impossible to fully calculate our pets’ value,” James explained on his website.

“While we wouldn’t think twice about the little things we do for ourselves – morning coffee, gym memberships, dinners out and spending money at the pub – we can forget about investing in our pets’ long-term health and wellbeing.”

“At Ella & Co, creating the most convenient, nutritionally-rich, ethical, and delicious freeze-dried raw dog food available in the UK is our first, small step towards a dog food revolution.”