A baby pug dog drowned in the North Sea after it fell into the water and was dragged down by the weight of its jumper.

Dora, a 2kg puppy, was known in her hometown of Little Amble, Northumberland, as one of the best dressed pooches in town.

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She won several 'best-dressed dog' awards at local festivals and had a penchant for hand-knitted jumpers and a Despicable Me-inspired minion outfit.

But it was her owner's passion for fashion that saw Dora drown in the sea in a freak accident after a gust of wind blew the small dog over the seaside wall and 12ft into the North Sea at Ambleside harbour.

"It was such a freak accident," Dora's 55-year-old owner, Rita Greig, told the Mirror. "Me and my daughter are absolutely devastated. She blew over the wall. It is only a couple of feet high.

"I took my coat off and went down to look for her and began swimming, but the sea was that rough that she was blown further and further away.

"I normally put coats on my dogs and somebody said to me afterwards the weight of the jumper wouldn't have helped her."

Although a lifeboat was called out, it was too late for the pug pup.

Greig owns another pug, Jazz, who she says is devastated by the loss of her companion.

She said: "Dora wouldn't even jump in a puddle, she would skip around it. It was heartbreaking to
watch her drowning. It was silly to even attempt to get in after her. My daughter could've been crying for two of us."

Greig hopes the story will warn other dog owners to be aware of the perils of bad weather.

"I never expected it to happen, I don't think anyone else would. I hope it stops another person losing a dog, people need to be aware of the wind."