Letchworth rescue pup Chase performed valiantly and came agonisingly close to a place at next year’s Crufts competition.

Chase, who is 18 months old, came second out of about 30 dogs in the ‘most handsome crossbreed’ category in the London semi-final of the annual Scruffts competition on Sunday last week.

Only the semi-final winner advances to the grand final at Crufts, unfortunately, but Chase’s owner Vanessa Taylor, 25, was still delighted.

“It was the most amazing feeling,” she said.

“Chase obviously knew he had done well as he was leaping around.”

Chase was abandoned in a gutter soon after his birth on the Greek island of Zante, and was rescued by the charity Zante Strays. He was adopted by Vanessa when he was four months old.

Vanessa said she and Chase intend to enter Scruffts again next year.