A COMPASSIONATE Ipswich teacher touched by the plight of stray dogs on a Greek island is attempting to raise more than £3,000 to bring an inseparable pair of mutts to Suffolk.

A COMPASSIONATE Ipswich teacher touched by the plight of stray dogs on a Greek island is attempting to raise more than £3,000 to bring an inseparable pair of mutts to Suffolk.

Gillian Matthews was one of a number of tourists, holidaying in the idyllic island of Kefalonia, outraged at the number of malnourished dogs roaming the streets.

Two dogs, in particular, caught her attention - and now Miss Matthews is trying to raise the funds to put them in quarantine and have them flown to England.

She said: “There were many people on the aircraft on the way home who said they were very unhappy about the stray dogs on the island. It was very distressing.

“Only 40 minutes before we were due to leave, two puppies were dumped under a wheelie bin. They could only have been six weeks old and they were squealing.

“I managed to feed them and then rushed them to a girl who lives on the island and looks after the dogs.

“But there were two pedigree cross dogs which were inseparable. They lie together under the olive grove and would be lost without one another.

“It's expensive, but I have agreed to get them over here. I may then keep them or I will find them a home.”

Miss Matthews is working alongside Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) to bring the dogs to Suffolk and she is hoping animal lovers will dig deep to help fund the bid.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to bring the dogs home should send cheques or make online payments to KATs with a reference of 'Freeway'.

The details are: HSBC Lincoln, 40-28-20, 92400650.