A missing dog injured when it was deliberately hit by a car yesterday has been reunited with its owners.

Betty, a two-year-old English Bulldog, who has one eye as a result of a burst ulcer earlier this year, was seen being hit by a black Range Rover after the driver attempted to scare her from the roadway.

Epping Forest staff spent several hours hunting for the injured pet, who suffered a fractured femur and bruised lungs following the incident on Manor Road, Loughton.

Her owners, Wendy Docherty, 42 and Paul Austin, 47 of Church Lane in Buckhurst Hill, had earlier started searching for the Bulldog when she went missing during a morning walk.

Betty is set to undergo a £5,000 operation today on her injuries but is expected to make a full recovery. 

Ms Docherty said: “We're over the moon to find Betty after searching for hours.

“She never normally leaves my side and when she didn’t return I was shocked.

"We always let her off in the forest but never near roads, you think they're safe in the forest.

“I looked in vain for hours before calling my partner, who left work to help me search for her.

“When we found her she was hurt which was really upsetting.

"I said in my heart I knew she had been hit by a car but my partner thought she may have fallen.

“We never dreamed someone would hit her deliberately.

"She's nervous next to roads because of her eye and must have run into it by mistake. 

“Hopefully she'll make a full recovery because she's been through the wars this year.”