A curvy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whose monstrous appetite even saw him once devour a set of false teeth has reached the finals of a UK pet slimming competition.

Four-year-old Borris weighs a whopping 4st 4lb which makes him around 80% overweight.

In a bid to shift the pounds, his owner Annmarie Formoy, 46, from Deal, has signed him up to the PDSA Pet Fit Club, where he'll compete against 12 other fat pets from across the country including dogs, cats and even a rotund dumbo rat.

Borris has been spoiled so much he has now ballooned to almost double the size he should be. He needs to lose a colossal 12kg or 1st 13lb to reach his ideal weight.

His owner Annmarie Formoy, 46, admitted that the family had been guilty of feeding him too many treats, but said his loveable nature means that even complete strangers give him titbits.

She said: “Because I work my mum and dad often look after him. My mum lives in a warden-assisted house and goes to get the newspapers for everyone.

"The trouble is everyone loves Borris and they all give him a treats or scraps when they see him!

“We have stopped all the extras but we were really bad before.

"I used to dish up an extra plate at the dinner table. When we were out on walks in the hot weather he used to get an ice lolly or an ice cream and he’d also have his Sunday roast, but no Brussels sprouts!”

Ms Formoy said Borris’s love of food had also led to several mishaps over the years.

She said: “One Easter I had chocolate eggs in the cupboard and when I came home I noticed he’d managed to get in and eat quite a few. I know chocolate is toxic to dogs, we were very lucky but thankfully he was OK.

“Borris is so greedy that one time he even ate my dad’s false teeth!

"I’m not sure if he thought they were food.

"It sounds hilarious but it was really naughty and incredibly dangerous. I learnt my lesson after that though, I know that nothing is safe from him.”

Pet Fit Club is a strict six-month diet and exercise programme and is the biggest of its kind in the UK.

Borris’s programme will be specially tailored and overseen by the vets and nurses at Margate PDSA Pet Clinic in Cliftonville.

Head nurse Louisa Carey, who will be helping to oversee Borris’s diet, said: “Pet obesity is an epidemic that is seriously impacting the lives of millions of pets across the country.

"As with humans, carrying excess weight has serious health implications for our four-legged friends.

"It can increase the chances of them suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and heart diseases.

“With the help of PDSA and Pet Fit Club, Borris and Annmarie are making the necessary diet, exercise and lifestyle changes to help get Borris down to a healthier weight. We will support them every step of the way over the next six months to ensure they succeed."

Since Pet Fit Club started in 2005, it has helped 124 overweight and obese pets lose an incredible 71 stone - the equivalent to a grand piano or 160,000 doughnuts!

In order to win this year's prize of a year’s free pet food, a pet friendly holiday, courtesy of Sykes Cottages and a pet hamper, Borris faces tough competition.

That includes Benji the cat from Glasgow who is so overweight that he no longer fits through the cat flap and Mr T the rat from Swansea who at nearly 1kg weighs double his ideal weight.