TERRY Ball, Fenland District Council's dog warden, is frequently called to remote Fen droves to pick up dogs that have been abandoned by cruel and heartless owners, but he was particularly disgusted by the pitiful plight of a two-year-old whippet-lurcher

TERRY Ball, Fenland District Council's dog warden, is frequently called to remote Fen droves to pick up dogs that have been abandoned by cruel and heartless owners, but he was particularly disgusted by the pitiful plight of a two-year-old whippet-lurcher rescued from Grassmoor Drove just after New Year.The starved, sick and mangey animal was at death's door when a member of the public spotted her in a ditch in the Coldham area and called Terry, who immediately took the animal to the vet and saved its life.With temperatures at night falling well below freezing over the Christmas period, the young whippet-lurcher was just skin and bone with bleeding ulcers and most of its hair had fallen out.The extremely good-natured dog weighed just 9.7 kilos when she was lifted cold and shivering out of the ditch. She is now slowly putting on weight and revelling in the attention she is receiving.On this occasion, there is a happy ending. She is being nursed back to health by Fenland Council-contracted kennels in Wisbech and the member of the public who made the original SOS call to the dog warden, is keen to adopt the animal when it is fit enough to be released.Terry Ball is called out to pick up between 15 and 20 abandoned or lost dogs each month and the remote droves in the Coldham area are a hotspot for dog dumping.He said: "I am appalled and very angry that anyone could mistreat any animal in this way, particularly when the animal is so friendly and trusting. She was almost dead when I picked her up, but she is slowly on the mend and I am delighted that this story looks like it will have a happy ending.