A woman who has been rescuing hedgehogs for 30 years has launched a desperate plea to find her missing dog.

Barbara Roberts has been working to save the prickliest animal in British wildlife for decades ever since one first fell into her garden pond.

The 63-year-old, who was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list in 2014, is a huge animal lover and has seven dogs and around 20 rabbits – in addition to 150 plus hedgehogs.

And the former nurse was left devastated to discover her beloved pooch Hollie had gone missing while she was in hospital.

Barbara, who founded the Withington Hedgehog Care Trust, explained how two weeks ago she was rushed to hospital after developing sepsis on her legs.

During her stay, a friend was looking after her pets for her, but didn’t realise that the Maltese Yorkie had managed to get out.

Maltese Yorkie Hollie, right

Barbara said: “She didn’t want to tell me when I was in hospital because I was so poorly, she put posters out and tried the dog wardens and RSPCA but no one knew where she was.”

It’s believed that Hollie escaped on June 19, and Barbara is determined to try and find her, but because of the sepsis swelling up her legs she’s unable to get out and search for her.

She said: “She’s a very friendly little dog and because she’s so small she’s very adorable.

“Not knowing where she is is so upsetting. I love her to bits and I can’t understand why someone hasn’t contacted me to say they’ve found her when she has a chip.

“I feel like someone had kidnapped her, if I find a dog the first thing I do is take it to the vet to see if it’s chipped so it can be reunited with its owner.

“It’s hard to think of her out there alone in the wet or starving to death.”

Barbara says she’s had three-year-old Hollie since she was a pup at eight weeks and is appealing to anyone who may have seen her to get in touch.

She added: “I don’t have any family, Hollie is like my family, she’s one of my children and I just want her back.”

Anyone with information to Hollie’s whereabouts is asked to call Wendy on 07597 510460.