A stray puppy was saved after it was found collapsed on the ground covered in hot and sticky asphalt in Thailand.

Residents heard the hapless pooch whimpering on wasteland inside a rubber plantation in Krabi province on January 3.

They called the emergency services and rescuers arrived, who began rubbing dry soil on the pit bull mixed breed dog to soak up the grease.

The four-month-old dog’s nose, mouth, and eyes were also clogged with discarded asphalt, which almost suffocated the animal to death.

The rescue team made scraped away the sticky mess from the puppy’s face to let it breathe properly before rushing it to a veterinary clinic.

Natapat Suksai, who has been rescuing animals for 25 years, said the dog could have died if it was not found on time.

He said: ‘The dog was already weak when we received the call. It could barely breathe because of the sticky substance.

The veteran rescuer added that the dog may have fallen into a tub of discarded asphalt used to fix the roads in the area. The mixture is believed to have been dumped instead of being disposed of correctly.

He said: ‘It probably was walking and accidentally fell into a tub full of asphalt. I am not sure where, but it should not be far.’

The dog is now safe recovering at a clinic, but it still had some of the sticky asphalt on its fur.

It will have to stay at the clinic until it is fully-recovered while waiting for someone willing to adopt it.