A STARVING and emaciated dog which was plucked from death's door in a foreign "hellhole" pound is now wagging his tail at the prospect of being rehomed – thanks to the kindness of a Warlingham woman.
And to top it all, the once-poorly pooch has turned into a prizewinner, after a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes.
Icey – who got his name because he was stricken with hypothermia when he was discovered – was hours from death when he first came into the hands of rescue centre staff.
Now a picture of health after just nine weeks of remarkable recovery, he won a first prize rosette in a dog show in the Surrey village of Ripley last month.
Val Phillips, who founded Valgrays Border Collie Rescue, said she heard via a network of animal contacts of the plight of a middle-aged border collie cross.
The stray was locked half-starved in a cage in a dog pound in Romania, and left exposed to the wintry blasts.
Val said: "He was frozen, he could not walk, he could not move.
"He had no life left in him. His head was permanently down, he had given up."
Val launched an appeal through her centre's 1,480-member Facebook group to bring him to England from foreign dog pound.
Icey, believed to be between eight and 12 years old, was given a warm welcome, and more importantly a warm bath to try and help revive him.
He was also wrapped in insulation blankets to help boost his circulation.
Gradually – "thanks to love, TLC and food", he began to pull around.
Now he is on four meals a day – and just can't stop eating.
Val said: "He is a smashing lad now, full of bounce and wants to be loved.
"He is super with other dogs and lives for his tummy and food.
"Icey has won everyone's hearts."
To cap it all, the wonder-dog took first prize in the veteran class at the dog show Ripley.
Val has worked with animals for the past 30 years, and has rescued struggling dogs abroad before.
Last year she saved two near-starved animals from Romania, raising 230 Euros to get them shipped to Britain after seeing their plight on an online video.