‘An animal lover with the biggest heart’: Dog owners post pictures of their pets in tribute to Paul O’Grady as Battersea Dogs & Cats Home mourns ‘entertainment legend and much-loved ambassador’ who promoted their charity with Queen Camilla
- Paul O’Grady died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ at the age 67 on Tuesday
- Dog owners are posting pictures of their pets as a tribute to the comedian
Pet owners across Britain are mourning the loss of Paul O’Grady by sharing stories of meeting him and pictures of their own beloved animals.
Staff Battersea Dogs & Cats Home also paid a heartfelt tribute to their ‘much-loved ambassador’ who died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ at the age 67 on Tuesday.
The TV star had fronted a documentary series, Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, at the charity’s south London site for 11 seasons, having first aired in 2012.
The Bafta-nominated show which promoted the animal home featured Queen Camilla for an episode in December, which ITV chose to air again last night in tribute to Mr O’Grady.
Britons have now taken to social media to post pictures of their dogs to honour his memory and remember ‘how much he loved animals’.
Dog owners have been posting pictures of their pets in tribute to O’Grady, who was an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Dozens of people shared pictures of their pets past and present along with heartfelt messages about the famous animal lover.
Read more: Paul O’Grady, 67, died in bed with his former ballet dancer husband Andre, 41, beside him, Avengers actress Linda Thorson says
And Battersea’s Chief Executive, Peter Laurie, described Mr O’Grady as a man with ‘perpetual generosity and warmth’.
Mr Laurie said: ‘To many, Paul O’Grady was the immensely popular TV and radio presenter and comedian who lit up their screens with his razor-sharp humour and perpetual generosity and warmth.
‘Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres.
‘Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.’
Queen Consort Camilla said she was ‘deeply saddened’ by the death of Mr O’Grady whose ‘warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many.’
And the owner of a chihuahua that spent time with Mr O’Grady remembered the late star befriending her dog when it was going through a ‘hard time’.
Three-year-old Blue met the TV presenter while in the care of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, with the pair’s bond shown to the world in episode two, series 10 of Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs.
Paul O’Grady was known for his love of dogs and fans of the late comedian are paying tribute by posting pictures of their pets
Mr O’Grady was an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for more than a decade
Dozens of people on twitter posted pictures of their dogs and left messages about Paul O’Grady
Joanna Randall, owner of Blue the chihuahua, recalled that Paul O’Grady befriended her dog when it was going through a ‘hard time’
Ms Randall adopted Blue from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where the chihauhau met Paul O’Grady
Blue’s new owner Joanna Randall spoke to BBC Breakfast about the positive impact of the late comedian: ‘It was really, really upsetting to hear about Paul’s passing’, Ms Randall said.
‘We had a long cuddle on the sofa and a little cry and rewatched the episode that he was on as well, and we just felt deeply deeply sad as well because Paul was just so tremendously kind to all dogs and especially to Blue, who was having a really hard time at that point when he ended up in Battersea.
‘It was just nice to have a friend like Paul at that point in his life. I don’t think he could have asked for a better friend to encounter right then.’
Blue was ‘relinquished’ to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home a few years ago, with Ms Randall saying his previous owners could no longer keep him because they were moving into a new house which did not let them keep pets.
She said Blue is ‘very friendly’ and ‘hyperactive in a lovely, playful way’, but this was not always the case.
‘When he first turned up at Battersea, he just hated everyone. He hated the whole world and you can see in the episode with Paul that he doesn’t even like Paul in the beginning.
‘But that was the amazing thing is that by the end of that time spent with Paul, he just completely changed his whole personality.
‘He was climbing over Paul and giving him kisses and this is just what’s he’s like now all the time.’
When Mr O’Grady’s name was mentioned by presenter Charlie Stayt, Blue appeared to make a whimpering sound.
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