A dog who was rescued from cruel Chinese butchers who 'ripped' his mouth has undergone surgery and is now seeking his forever home in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

Marmalade was saved by by volunteers working with London-based charity No To Dog Meat, which was founded in 2009 when founder Julia de Cadenet saw for herself the horrors of the dog meat trade. 

Before they managed to rescue him, Marmalade was facing certain death at the hands of dog meat butchers at the infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival. 

The annual event, which began around 2010, sees dogs and cats - who are often stolen pets - brutally tortured and killed in the street before they are made into dishes for stalls and restaurants to serve.

Over the 10-day festival, it is thought that up to 10,000 dogs and 5,000 cats are killed and eaten. 

The charity has described Marmalade, who 'had his mouth brutally ripped in half by butchers', as a 'lovely boy', with China-based NoToDogMeat's Mr Zhao saying the pooch is 'one of his favourite dogs'.  

NoToDogMeat couldn't afford to get his face fixed in China, and the surgery was also complicated.

According to the charity: 'During Julia's long trip to Yulin and the base, a volunteer came forward who had finally fallen in love with this boy. So we sprang into immediate action to do all we could so he could fly back with our Samoyed Biscuit.

'We didn't think we would make the flight, and we nearly didn't, as Air France had changed the quota to one dog instead of two, but somehow, against the odds, Julia convinced them to let him fly.'

Then, it revealed, 'something even more miraculous happened'. 

'Our lovely vet in France agreed not just to clean his teeth, which had all become black, but to fix his face the best he could,' it said.

'The operation was long, and after Marmalade needed time to recover. His lower lip and face will never be perfect, but he can now eat without pain and infection.'

Julia drove 'happy-go-lucky, super-friendly' Marmalade to the UK, but unfortunately, the adopter changed her mind, so he hasn't had his happy ending.

Everything he has been through recently has made the pooch 'pretty fearful and skittish'. He is being cared for by one of the charity's team, and the organisation is confident he will soon feel relaxed and safe again.

It is now seeking someone to sponsor Marmalade’s daily needs and, above all, a true forever home.

The dog has an EU passport now, which means he could fly anywhere in the world if no one turns up for him in the UK.

The charity said: 'Marmalade needs extra love and understanding so he feels wanted, and whoever takes him has to be 100 per cent sure.

'If you can be Marmalade's second chance, please get in touch with us on adopt@nototodogmeat.com. 

'We are all very sad but hoping an animal angel will come through.'

The charity has some  700 dogs and cats in our care and regularly posts their stories on it social media, for those looking to adopt an animal.

You can find out which animals are looking for sponsors and forever homes here.