A puppy that captured the hearts of the nation after surviving brutal tortured by a gang of cruel teenagers will appeared on television tonight.

Chunky the chihuahua was stolen from his home in Thanet before being tortured, beaten, drugged, set fire to and dumped at a rubbish tip.

The four teenagers responsible were banned from keeping animals for five years in November after pleading guilty to torturing the tiny puppy last February.

His miraculous story of survival featured on The Dog Rescuers on Channel 5 tonight.

Presented by Alan Davies, the programme features "dramatic rescues, inspirational rehabilitations and heart-warming rehomings".

It also follows RSPCA workers as they crusade against cruelty and neglect of dogs.

The first episode of the fourth series, which aired at 8pm, charted Chunky's remarkable transformation following his horrendous ordeal.

It highlighted the efforts of RSPCA Inspector Caroline Doe, who describes Chunky's case as the most disturbing she has ever dealt with "by an absolute mile".

Caroline became an RSPCA inspector seven years ago. Before that, she did conservation work in Egypt and worked with autistic adults in the UK.

She became frustrated with being powerless to help animals while living in other countries and now seizes the opportunity to stop injustices against animals and make a positive difference.

She has three dogs of her own - a retriever, a German Shepherd cross and a spaniel cross.