A dog who was being eaten alive by maggots and just hours away from death before she was rescued - is set to appear on TV tonight.

Blossom, a lurcher cross, was found shut in a kennel, near Maidstone, and was so poorly RSPCA animal rescuer inspector Rosie Russon was not sure she would survive.

But Blossom will feature in tonight’s first episode of the new series of The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies on Channel 5, having been found covered in flies and maggots around her bottom, with sores on her legs and joints. She was also emaciated.

“I rushed Blossom to the vets and the vet nurse helped me to carry her into the surgery,” said Rosie.

“Blossom would not do anything. She was not really interested in people, not really interested in life.

“She had little wounds scattered around her body, where she was so thin and, living in a kennel, it has just rubbed her skin. She couldn’t stand, she was just trying to nibble at her rear end and I could smell at that point - and I thought ‘oh God’.

“We found she was fly-blown - where flies lay eggs on an animal, and maggots come out and start eating the dog alive.

"She wouldn't have lasted much longer..."

“It was awful. There were probably more than 1,000 maggots there - probably only 24 hours old.

“She wouldn’t have lasted much longer. It was a question of whether she would’ve died through being eaten by the maggots and the infection that would have started, or whether it was from her lack of body weight, emaciated state and lack of food.

“I don't think she had any more than a week left at the very, very most.”

Luckily, Rosie rescued Blossom in the nick of time, with Blossom first being looked after by the RSPCA in May 2019. They believe she is around three years old.

Vet nurses had to pick the maggots out one by one as Blossom was being monitored and cared for. She gradually went from strength to strength and, as time went on, she became healthy enough to be re-homed.

Comedian Alan Davies will host the new series of Dog Rescuers (7pm) when Blossom’s story will be shown.

The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies is shown on Channel 5 at 7pm or catch up on My5.

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

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