Two dogs were "found huddled together by the canal" in Rickmansworth last Thursday.

Two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were found by the Grand Union Canal in Rickmansworth on Thursday and Three Rivers District Council confirmed they are looking after the two dogs.

Kevin Snow, spokesman for the authority, confirmed the pair would be sent to a shelter for re-homing next week if they had not been claimed.

Debbie Sandling, Animal Control Enforcement Officer at Three Rivers District Council, placed a post on website www.lostbox.co.uk saying: "Surely, someone, somewhere is missing these two girls in the Rickmansworth area.

"Both are Blenheim in colour, adult, one is approximately seven to eight years old and the other approximately three years old.

"I got a call saying two cavaliers had been found huddled together down by the canal at Rickmansworth. I went to collect them and it was these two girls."

A Dogs Trust spokesman said: "It’s terribly sad when a dog goes missing, and we really hope that the owners of these dogs can be found.

A microchip is the best way to increase your dog’s chances of coming home to you, because if your dog is found, you can be immediately traced.

"Microchipping is becoming compulsory in April 2016, and as a result we hope to hear fewer of these stories and more tales of dogs being returned to their owners.

"Dogs are a very important member of any family, and microchipping them and ensuring the chip has your current address on it, is a very important part of keeping them safe."