A collie cross rescued from the streets of Romania ­survived after 1,000 strangers paid for life-saving surgery.

Fleur had been found in a terrible condition in a shelter in the capital Bucharest and brought to Britain.

But three weeks later she became ill again and it looked like curtains.

Her owner Wendy Morris said: “She was screaming in pain. Vets found part of her intestines had rotted. She had an infection and septic insides.”

Vets advised putting the six-year-old to sleep but a web comment ­suggested the Royal Veterinary College.

Vets found part of her intestines had rotted

Wendy, 49, said “Our vet didn’t even think she would make the journey to London but our Fleur is a fighter.”

She had already survived the Romanian dog catchers and being thrown into a public shelter, where she was mutilated in a botched spay op.

In October 2014, Valgrays Border Collie Rescue spotted a photo online of the dying dog slumped in a cold concrete run – and pledged to save her.

Fleur with her owner Wendy after being nursed back to health

They got Fleur into a clinic but she was very ill and contracted infections and distemper. Still, rescuers nursed her back to health, and Fleur ­finally made the journey to England in February 2015 to live with Wendy.

They were determined to give her a wonderful new life – but just three weeks later, she fell ill again.

Two RVC surgeons spent five hours removing 2ft of rotten intestines and part of Fleur’s stomach. Valgrays set up a fundraising page on Facebook and within 24 hours 1,000 people had raised the £10,000 for the surgery.

Fleur has even appeared at Crufts

After two weeks of intensive care, Fleur returned home and her story began to spread. Soon she was gracing the cover of magazines, featured on a range of cards and appeared at Crufts.

Wendy, a nurse from Ropley, Hants, said: “No matter all the suffering she’s experienced, much of it at the hands of people, she is a loving, trusting dog.”

The Chronicles of Fleur: A Dog Not Ready to Die is out in March, available on Amazon, at Crufts and from Hubble & Hattie publishing – in aid of Valgrays, and Pets & Friends Romania.