A Finsbury Park comedy promoter has teamed up with a trio of glamorous animal rights activists – including a Playboy model – to save an abused dog from Asia’s canine meat trade.

Martin Besserman has joined forces with the K-9 Angels to raise cash for their latest dog rescue operation – to bring a Thai dog called Maya to the UK and find it a good home.

Comedy promoter and compere Mr Besserman, of Hanley Road, is hosting one of his popular Monkey Business Comedy Club nights – which has been graced by the likes of Harry Hill, Noel Fielding and Stephen Merchant – in aid of the mission.

Mr Besserman, 45, said: “Animal welfare should be a priority for every individual because, at the end of the day, animals share the world with us.

“Comedy has traditionally raised money and public awareness at the same time. Everyone’s offering their services for free because this is a very worthwhile cause.”

Maya was recently saved from a meat lorry destined for Vietnam by a Thai charity, but the K-9 Angels – made up of a trio of dog-loving women that includes Playboy model Victoria Eistermann – want to bring her back to the UK to ensure she goes to a loving home.

The gig will be headlined by the award-winning improv duo Abandoman and is at The Oxford in Kentish Town on Saturday, April 28.

Conservationist and TV presenter Anneka Tanaka-Svenska, 36, one-third of the Angels, said: “People go to Thailand on holiday and think it’s a beautiful place. But they don’t see the awful instances where dogs are taken from people’s porches, popped on a truck and shipped off to be eaten. Everybody sits around talking but we realised we could actually do something.”

The Angels say they have saved about 120 dogs since they launched in November last year – so far all from Romania – but this is their most ambitious mission to date.

It will cost at least �800 just to get Maya on the plane – so the Angels hope punters will give generously.

Anneka added: “Every penny will be used to save the dogs, and if it’s successful we will try to do it regularly.”

Tickets are �15. Doors open 7.30pm. Visit www.monkeybusiness comedyclub.co.uk. Go to www.k-9angels.co.uk for more on the group.