AN animal lover facing a £1,000 bill after rescuing a cat maimed by a firework is appealing for donations.

Maureen Savage of Stansfield Street, Darwen, believes an explosive was strapped to the animal's back by youngsters.

She was called to collect the 18-month-old cat from Rishton on November 4 but now faces a huge recovery bill.

Maureen, a ward clerk at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, rescues scores of cats each year and spends her nights caring for the homeless or neglected under the charity name Moggies.

The charity, which has been running for 11 years, survives on fundraising and donations but will find it difficult to foot the £1,000 bill.

Maureen said: "I received a phone call from a lady in Rishton who had found a small cat.

"She didn't know whether it was dead or alive and when I got there she was a real mess.

"When I drove to Rishton to collect Lucky I knew it would be a long, expensive, road to recovery."

Paul Williams, part-time helper and fundraiser for Moggies, said: "At first we thought the cat was dead because she had no fur at all on her back, it looked like she'd been scalped."

Maureen named the cat Lucky and took her to see a vet who put her on a drip and performed two skin grafts to replace the singed areas.

Paul went on: "She's a lot more like herself now but it's just a question of whether all the injuries will heal.

"Nobody knows who Lucky belongs to but she's too well looked after to be a stray."

Maureen said: "I love doing what I do but this huge bill could force me to cut down on the rescue runs because there's no money left.

"But that's impossible at this time of year. At Christmas there are lots of kittens being dumped on the streets that need to be picked up."

The shelter is appealing to people to help reach the target amount. If you would like to help Lucky call Maureen on 01254 708171 or write to her at 11 Stansfield Street, Darwen.