A tiny chihuahua has been reunited with his owner for Christmas – after being found in a Santa sack in the porch of Hitchin’s historic parish church by schoolchildren.

The Comet: Owner Samantha Jones and the RSPCA's Stephen ReevesOwner Samantha Jones and the RSPCA's Stephen Reeves (Image: Archant)

Three-year-old Eragon was discovered at about midday on Tuesday by the children who were attending a festive service at St Mary’s Church in the town centre.

He had been left tied up inside a red Santa sack with dog food, treats, a dog jumper and a Christmas card which read: “My lady is going into a home. I need food cut small. Please find me a lovely new home. My lady failed. So sorry”

The RSPCA was called and an inspector scanned Eragon’s microchip to find that he belonged to Samantha Jones, who lived more than 40 miles away in South London – but had gone missing during a walk in August.

RSPCA inspector Stephen Reeves said: “We think Eragon got lost and was then found by someone who took him in without thinking of checking his microchip, and then three or four months later found that they could just not cope.

The Comet: The touching card found with dumped chihuahua Eragon on TuesdayThe touching card found with dumped chihuahua Eragon on Tuesday (Image: Archant)

“Eragon had clearly been cared for, as the treats, jumper and card show, but it It could have ended quite badly to leave a little dog like that out with no care in the temperatures we’ve been seeing recently.

“Luckily in this case there is a happy ending and Eragon has been taken home to his original owner.

“It was certainly one of the more unusual, and most festive, rescues I have ever been called out to. I have never come across a chihuahua in a Santa sack on a church porch before.”

Samantha said: “I thought I would never see him again. I put up posters and asked everyone I could when he went missing.

The Comet: Chihuahua found dumped in HitchinChihuahua found dumped in Hitchin (Image: Archant)

“So it was a lovely surprise when I got the call to find he had been found. I was especially shocked to find he was in Hertfordshire - quite a way from my London home!

“It is so lovely to have him home again in time for Christmas. We’ve been making quite a fuss of him as you can imagine.”

The RSPCA is a charity that relies on public donations to exist. If you would like to help the RSPCA, you can give £3 now by texting HELP to 78866 (text costs £3 + one standard network rate message).