A puppy is fighting for her life after consuming rat bait in Biggin Hill prompting the worried owner to warn residents.

Sophie, a one-year-old cockapoo, has had blood transfusions and suffered internal bleeding after eating the rat bait.

Her owner, Chloe Muddiman, 23, posted an appeal on social media to warn people about the risk of leaving poison in gardens.

"The worrying thing is that dogs don’t really snow any signs," Chloe said of her puppy. "She was absolutely fine and then at the weekend she couldn’t really walk.

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"She kept collapsing and couldn’t lay down and her breathing was really weird. She went to the vets and just deteriorated."

Chloe added that she was "distraught and heartbroken" after vets told her why they thought Sophie was so ill.

The pet owner believes the bait may have been consumed from her back garden after Sophie escaped from the fence but insisted that she couldn’t know for sure.

"Biggin Hill has issues with rats and mice so people definitely put it in their gardens," she said.

"We will make sure she has a muzzle on in the garden from now on. We are too scared."

Chloe hopes raising awareness about what happened to Sophie will make people think twice before spreading rat bait.

She suggested people leave poison in confined spaces like sheds, out of the way of pets.

Sophie is not yet in the clear and could face up to six weeks in the vets.

"The vets have been lovely," Chloe said. "They have put posters up and let everyone know. They have had loads of cats in too who have had the same issue."

Poorly Sophie is "doing better" but Chloe said it was too early to know the outcome.

In a Facebook appeal, Chloe wrote: "Please can people of Biggin Hill who put rat poison down in their gardens be aware of the outcome.

"Tonight our beautiful puppy is the victim of rat bait poisoning. She is having a blood transfusion and we are praying that she will be okay.

"Please be careful as I wouldn’t wish this upon any family."