Felicity, a beautiful Samoyed dog wearing a dress designed by a Rawdon resident stole the show at this years Cannes Film Festival

Commercial interior designer Michelle Parker, who is a senior volunteer for the NoToDogMeat charity, created an epic gown for Felicity, as she strutted her stuff on the red carpet at the French film extravaganza, to raise awareness of of other dogs in need.

Felicity, who lost her tail after a butcher strung her up by it before she was rescued from the horrors of the Chinese dog meat trade is an ambasa-dog for NoToDogMeat, and was specially invited to Cannes Film Festival, which is a long-time supporter of the charity.

To create the epic gown, Michelle deconstructed a second hand prom dress, thinning out the metres of tulle and satin before adding hundreds of hand stitched tiny sequins.

She then created intricate satin roses to decorate the frock, a process which took her more than 30 hours.

Michelle, of Cragg Terrace, Rawdon, said: "I loved making the dress and Felicity looked so fabulous in it She is a very outgoing dog and loves to pose, but the most important thing is that she is comfortable. So I spent a lot of time making the dress as light as possible, so that she can wear it happily.

"The hardest part of making the dress was taking out the boning and repurposing the cups on the front to make the bodice, plus sewing on all the bling which was well worth it."

Michelle put a foam suit on her own dog Luka to make sure that the dress would fit larger Felicity, who lives in London

She added: "My Samoyed Luka absolutely loved being Felicity's body double, albeit with a bit of foam padding, it was like he knew it was all for a good cause. I loved the thought of Felicity relaxing and getting her beauty sleep while Luka was doing her dress fittings!"

When Felicity arrived at the festival she received her own pass, which gives her access to a range of exclusive parties, screenings and events.

Together with her owner Julia de Cadenet, who founded the charity and was on the rescue that saved the lucky pup, Felicity received star treatment at Cannes and Julia hopes that by telling her story has helped to educate and inspire people to act in the fight against the dog meat trade.

She added: "When we found Felicity she was in a terrible state, but over time and with a lot of love and care her outgoing personality has blossomed.

"She really is a miracle, and loves to show off and meet people, so this really is a perfect moment for her. She deserves it so much and we hope that by telling Felicity's story, and when people meet her they will be inspired to join our movement.

"The dress itself is like a work of art, and a huge thank you to Michelle who has worked so hard to create the gown for this special occasion. NoToDogMeat really is a family, so everyone chips in to help with their specialist skills."

The NoToDogMeat charity was founded in 2009 when Julia saw for herself the horrors of the meat trade. The charity was the first to bring the annual June Yulin Dog Meat Festival to the world's attention, and now holds United Nations Special Consultative status.

NoToDogMeat currently cares for more than 750 dogs at shelters in China, and also operates projects in Cambodia and the Philippines. The charity works with local people who want to make a difference.

Michelle added: "Anyone who loves dogs is rightly appalled by the cruelty of the dog meat trade, and ever since I found out about it I have been determined to try and help.

"Of course it is not all about dogs wearing gowns on the Cannes Red Carpet, but at the charity we always say no action too small. I'm pleased that Felicity's red carpet moment raised awareness and funds for the charity."