A man has rescued a dog from a deep pit in central Croatia, where it is believed to have been trapped for more than a year.

The man, who belongs to an animal protection group, abseiled into the pit to retrieve the animal, after it had been fed sedatives.

The dog - a part German shepherd - is believed to have been thrown into the pit with a litter of puppies and to have survived by drinking rain-water and eating other dead animals dumped there.

It was taken to a veterinary clinic in the capital, Zagreb.

A number of dog-lovers have offered the animal a home.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service