A dog abandoned to a tragic fate at Dover has been given a second lease of life thanks to a cross-Channel ferry operator, Immigration officers and a rescue centre in Yorkshire.

The miniature pinscher named Alfie was impounded at Dover docks when people acting for the owners tried to bring him into the country with an invalid passport and documentation.

His owners refused to pay for the quarantine, opting instead for the dog to be put to sleep.

The UK immigration team contacted the Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Breed Rescue who agreed to save the dog’s life by taking on the costs involved in the quarantine kennels for a week and to help him back to Europe.

SeaFrance provided Alfie’s rescuers with a free crossing to take him over to a boarding kennel in Calais, which offered to find new owners for the dog.
Carole Ward, spokeswoman for the Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Breed Rescue said: “This isn’t an unusual case for us.

“We couldn’t afford the long-term quarantine bills for Alfie but, with the help of SeaFrance, we were able to prevent him being put to sleep.”

For more stories from the port of Dover, see this week's Dover Mercury.

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