AN ELDERLY dog with a heart condition which became trapped down a hole for up to three days has been reunited with her doting owner.

Black labrador Holly, 12, was spotted down the hole, next to remnants of an old air raid shelter in Maidstone's Mote Park, by two young boys on Monday.

The youngsters called the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Holly was finally pulled free by Maidstone firefighters who climbed down into the hole and lifted her out.

Her owner David White, of Kent Avenue, Shepway, Maidstone, was overjoyed to have his beloved pet home safely after frantically searching for her since she went missing last Friday.

Mr White said: "I have got two labradors and had one young, scatty one going in one direction and Holly, who is 12 and just wanders around, going in another direction.

"I thought I had better stop with the scatty one, because I thought Holly wouldn't go far. But for some reason she wandered off and I couldn't find her.

"I was over there until about 10pm trying to find her. I was thinking the worst because she is on heart tablets. I was up first light on Saturday. My son in law went over there, then my daughter."

He added: "I was very relieved and very happy to get her back. My grandkids were happy too. They had made posters over the weekend to put up around the park."

Mr White stressed: She is OK now. She has got a bit of an infection on her nose. Maybe she had been trying to bury her way out.

"I am very grateful to the young lads. I will be going round to say thank you to them."