TWO greyhounds who were seriously injured in a road accident are recovering after undergoing surgery.

Both of the animals needed medical treatment after they were injured in the collision on Monday night.

A third greyhound died at the scene of the crash on the A1(M) in County Durham.

The dogs were travelling in the back of a car, that was involved in two successive accidents on the southbound carriageway.

One person was cut free from the wreckage of the car and two people were taken to hospital.

The two injured greyhounds were taken to a veterinary surgery in Darlington, where they were operated on yesterday.

The treatment has been funded by the RSPCA, and the total bill would have come to between £350 and £400, but the vet has agreed to give the charity a £200 discount.

The dogs are owned by a family from Darlington who cannot afford to pay the vet bills, so the dogs have been signed over the RSPCA.

When they have fully recovered, the animals will need to be rehomed.

The RSPCA is appealing for people to offer financial help, because the Darlington branch is struggling to afford the bill.

Neil Mitchell, one of the RSPCA inspectors, said: "They are only about 18 months old and we are now looking for new owners.

"We would also like to highlight the costs, we will struggle locally to get the money to pay for their care."

Micaela Wright, a vet at the Stanhope Park veterinary practice, where the dogs are recovering, said: "The dogs are doing okay at the moment. They are quite badly bruised and badly cut but we are fairly confident they will get better."

Anyone who can help to pay towards the costs are asked to contact the RSPCA on 08705 555 999.