Dog seriously injured after his kennel is set on fire by crazed intruder

Ten-year-old Patch was sleeping in his kennel when an intruder entered the back garden of the home in Sowerby Road whilst his owner was at work on Sunday night (September 13).

In a heinous act of cruelty, the intruder made a beeline for his kennel and poured accelerant in a ring around his shelter before setting it alight.

The terrified collie-cross was left trapped and helpless in the burning kennel, until a neighbour ran to his rescue.

Protecting herself with a pair of oven gloves, the brave woman managed to prise open the gate to Patch's pen and free him before it was engulfed in flames.

But the frightened and injured dog fled the garden and ran away down a country lane into nearby fields, where he remained missing for two days.

A county-wide call went out on social media to help find Patch, with more than a dozen volunteers joining forces to search for him in the fields.

He was found by a volunteer on Tuesday, lying injured in a ditch next to a country lane in Inskip. The woman scooped him up and flagged down a passing car whose driver rushed her and Patch to Oakhill Vets in Goosnargh.

But his injuries were so severe that the vet transferred him to an emergency pet hospital in Manchester, where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Today (Thursday, September 16), his distraught owner Wendy Brindle and her daughter Tracy anxiously watched as Patch underwent anaesthesia for his first round of surgery.

He will undergo a number of skin grafts to treat burns over 40% of his body.

Tracy said Patch is 'lucky to be alive', but added that the brave collie-cross faces a long road to recovery.

"He's in a bad way and we're not out of the woods with him yet," she said.

"It's still touch and go I'm afraid. He's been through a lot and he's an older dog, so it's a really tough fight for him and he'll need to undergo a number of surgeries.

"He's 10 now, so it's always a risk with the anaesthetic, but it's the only hope we've got.

"Patch has severe burns down his left-hand side and some of the skin is necrotic, which means patches of his tissue are dying.

"He has also suffered damage to one of his eyes where it has ulcerated from the heat of the fire and vets are assessing him to see whether he has lost his sight.

"On top of this, he has two infected open wounds on his behind, that were embedded with maggots when we found him.

"And he also has crackles on his lungs because he inhaled so much smoke and debris, and the vets say he has onset pneumonia.

"They've got him on an IV of antibiotics and methadone for the pain and they say he is going to need a lot of treatment, including skin grafts."

Tracy said the vets estimate that the uninsured cost of his treatment will be around £10,000. But the heartbroken family have been given a much-needed helping hand from hundreds of well-wishers.

A crowdfunding campaign set up yesterday(Wednesday, September 16) to help cover the costs of treatment has now exceeded its target of £10,000, with more than 700 individual donations in less than 24 hours.

Lancashire Police said an investigation is ongoing into the suspected arson attack.

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to the home at 11.08pm on Sunday (September 13) and three fire engines from Garstang, Preston and Fulwood attended.

"On arrival, crews found a dog kennel on fire and firefighters used one hose reel to extinguish it.

"With regards to the exact cause of the fire, the investigation has been passed on to police."