A dog that was found wandering the streets in a distressing condition has been described as "the sweetest old lady" and is being sent to a rescue centre.

Doris, a female Jack Russell Terrier, had to be rushed to the vets after she was found around Eastling Road, Painters Forstal, in Faversham with a hole behind her eye.

The poorly pooch was rescued by Swale council stray dog service and rushed to the vets on Wednesday evening.

She was very thin and weak – weighing just 3.7kg – and all of her bones are prominent with little to no coverage.

The service said its biggest concern is the hole behind her left eye, which is so deep that you can see the muscles contracting when she blinks.

She was taken to Bobbing Hill Veterinary Surgery in Sittingbourne where the vet's overall consensus was that her injury was either a ballistic type or a severe dog bite – but the exact cause remains unclear.

Yesterday, the stray dog service posted online: "As of today, Doris is winging her way to Cinque Ports Rescue so she can serve her seven days in the comfort of a foster home.

"She'll then be signed over to them officially once these have been completed.

"If an owner comes forward during this time, not only will they need to prove that she's either long term missing or stolen, but they'll also have to pay all outstanding costs incurred by both the council and the rescue."

Doris is now on strong antibiotics and is starting a re-feeding programme.

The terrier will need further treatment to examine the extent of her injuries.

This morning, the service said: "Guess who slept like the dead her first night in her new foster home? And yes, she is wearing some doggy pyjamas.

"We may be biased, but we think Miss. D is just perfection. She's the sweetest old lady and is great around other dogs too. This is what being safe feels like.

"If anyone would like to send Doris some goodies or donate towards her care, please reach out to the amazing Cinque Ports Rescue."