AN 11-year-old lurcher who starred on Channel 5 is hoping for a Christmas miracle after spending more than 400 days at Basildon's Dogs Trust.

The rehoming centre has launched an appeal to find homes for 80 dogs with less than 10 weeks to go until Christmas, in a bid to find permanent homes for as many dogs as possible.

Lurcher Dotty is one of the dogs hoping for a home before the festive season.

She has spent more than a year under the charity's care and even a stint on Channel 5’s Lost Dogs Live with Claire Balding has not resulted in a home for Dotty.

Lisa Cooper, manager at Dogs Trust Basildon, said: "Christmas is fast approaching, and we are hoping to find forever homes for as many dogs as possible ahead of the festive season.

"While the Dogs Trust team will make sure that the dogs in our care over Christmas are well looked after, with festive treats and gifts galore, we all know there’s nowhere quite like home.

"One of these dogs is Dotty.

"Sadly, she has already spent one Christmas in our care and while we love her company, we want to see her settled in her forever home ahead of this Christmas."

This fresh appeal comes as Dogs Trust reveals it has received more than 32,000 handover enquiries so far this year, from owners unable to care for their pets.

Dogs Trust has been linked to Christmas for almost 50 years with the well-known phrase, "A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas," coined by the charity's team in 1978.

The past three years have been some of the busiest on record for Dogs Trust with 50,000 handover requests in 2022, 45,000 last year, and more than 32,000 so far this year.

Ms Cooper added: "Welcoming a dog into your home is a wonderful experience, but it requires commitment, both in terms of time and money.

"At Dogs Trust, our dogs are part of the family for life, not just for Christmas."

For more information about Dotty and the other dogs in the care of Dogs Trust Basildon, visit dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/our-centres/essex.