A VICIOUS dog-fighting ring is active in Melbourne’s west, according to a woman whose missing pooch returned home with horrific injuries and a rope tied to his back leg.

Alfie was barely alive when his owner, Sheena, found him bloodied and covered in puncture wounds on the doorstep of their Sunshine home on Friday — 24 hours after he went missing.

Sheena believes her loyal kelpie-labrador-cross was stolen from their Fraser St backyard sometime between 11am and 6pm on Thursday to be used in an organised dogfight.

But the brave canine miraculously managed to escape the clutches of the dognappers and make his way home despite suffering horrific injuries, including a 10cm-deep and 20cm-long gash which came within millimetres of his jugular artery.

The three-year-old was rushed to Advanced Vetcare in Kensington,requesting that Rutgers immediately assume those obligations. On March 26, 2007, Rutgers Casualty informed Bando that it was disclaiming coverage based upon a certain exclusion in the commercial general liability insurance policy it had issued to Bando (hereinafter the Policy). By letter dated April 17, 2007, Rutgers Casualty informed Seneca of the disclaimer. Key Fat was not so informed. A judgment was ultimately entered in favor of Guallpa and against Key Fat, awarding damages for his injuries, and Key Fat was awarded summary judgment on its third-party claims against Bando for common-law and contractual indemnification. Following an inquest, the Supreme Court entered a judgment on September 16, 2011, in favor of Key Fat and against Bando in the total sum of $90,502.87 for attorney's fees and costs incurred