By Patrick LowmanA PET dog that went missing from a family home for more than a week has been found with multiple injuries after it appears to have been savagely attacked by another animal.

By Patrick Lowman

A PET dog that went missing from a family home for more than a week has been found with multiple injuries after it appears to have been savagely attacked by another animal.

Charlie, a four-year-old Sharpei, needed emergency treatment and more than 30 stitches to repair his wounds after he was found by a farmer on Saturday evening.

Mikala Young, the dog's owner, and veterinary surgeons think Charlie was mauled by a larger animal during his eight days on the loose.

Charlie, the same breed as the dog recently purchased by Posh and Becks, is now recovering from his terrifying ordeal at a Suffolk farm.

As reported by the EADT last week, Charlie escaped from Ms Young's Hazel Close home, in Haverhill, within an hour of being purchased from the Jaybeth animal centre.

Ms Young and her two-year-old son Kieran went to the centre on February 13 and fell in love with Charlie. He had been kept at the centre for three years after being badly treated by a previous owner.

The family was devastated when their new pet escaped and they spent an entire week searching for him and even offered a cash reward for its return.

On Saturday evening Ms Young received a telephone call from a Haverhill farmer to say he had spotted Charlie.

Ms Young rushed to the scene and with the help of the farmer captured Charlie. She was devastated to find the dog was badly injured and took him straight to the Swayne and Partners vets in Haverhill.

"When we found Charlie I did fear the worst, he had been very badly mauled.

"The vets think he must have been attacked by a larger animal and said the injuries were quite old, so it must have happened soon after he escaped from us.

"He had bad injuries on the top of his tail, his legs and both sides of his body, he needed more than 30 stitches."

Charlie is now recuperating at Copy Farm in Helions Bumpstead, owned by friends of Ms Young.

She said: "We have had to let him stay at the farm because Kieran keeps touching him, but Charlie is just not up to it.

"We will have to see how things go and make sure Charlie recovers properly, but once he heels we will have him back.

"Obviously, we are sad he has been injured but we are delighted to have him back. I am so grateful to the farmer and I want to send him a card and some flowers, but I don't even know his name."