A family who fell in love with a stray puppy on a Greek island have launched a campaign to raise the money to fly her back to the UK.

Laura Gleadall was in Crete with her partner Steven Griffiths, their children and his parents, when a chance encounter led them to little Luna.

The 33-year-old said: “The hotel we were staying in was in touch with an environmental welfare group and ran adoption days there for the stray dogs.

“There were about 15 or 20 dogs there and when they were setting up, a woman came in carrying a box with puppies in it.”

Luna, a three-month-old pooch thought to be a Hungarian vizsla, was one of the dogs in the box.

The family fell in love with her and named her due to the symbolism surrounding a new moon being a new start, knowing that if they didn’t bring her back to England, she would be released back onto the streets.

The dog has since had her vaccinations but they now need to raise the £500 to pay for her to be flown over here.

Laura, who lives in Great Easthall, said: “She’s staying with a foster lady at the moment and she’ll be safe to fly on October 31, 21 days after her rabies vaccination.

“October 31 is the last day flights run to London from Crete so we’ve got to have it sorted by then.”

The dog will travel separately from the family, who are already back in the UK, with an attendant lined up to care for the dog for the journey.

“If we didn’t have the money, she’d be back on the streets and it’s horrible to think about"

“It’s our first ever time to Crete on a family holiday too,” she added.

The family decided they need to raise the cash and started up a fundraising page, which has generated more than £200 in a matter of days.

Laura added: “We’ve had a lot of days thinking ‘oh my god, how are we going to do this?’

“It’s such a long wait now but we’re so excited to get her home.”

To donate to the appeal, visit gofundme.com/fly-luna-home