An iconic and highly successful British comedian and retired drag queen; you’ve probably heard of Paul O’Grady. However, many people don't know how deep his love of dogs runs and how long he has been a vocal advocate for animals of all shapes and sizes.
From getting a glimpse of his dogs on The Paul O'Grady Show, to watching him in For the Love of Dogs, you can see that he is very passionate about his four-legged friends.
Before O’Grady was Famous
O'Grady's love of dogs was not something that just happened when he became famous; it has always been part of his life from when he was a child. He has repeatedly shared his love of animals and explained how much he enjoyed looking after a wide range of pets when he was a child including mice, rabbits, hamsters and others.
Dogs on the Paul O’Grady Show
When O’Grady was given his self-titled show, he made it clear that he wanted it to be unique to him and his personality - a trait that the audience loved. Part of this included cameo appearances of his two dogs Buster and Olga, which were lapped up by the excited audiences. Sadly, Buster, who was a rescue dog, had to be euthanised as he developed cancer - a fact that shook O'Grady, who absolutely adored him. Unfortunately, Olga also developed cancer and later had to be euthanised, as she suffered from kidney failure.
The Battersea Connection
O’Grady’s love of dogs did not go unnoticed by Battersea Dog’s Home, especially because he had rescued dogs previously and given them great lives. As such, he was invited to become an ambassador for the charity and agreed in 2013. As part of this role, he worked hard to elevate the plight of rescue dogs and encourage others to donate and give loving homes to needy canines all over the UK, so that they could receive excellent veterinary care and live long, healthy lives. Along with Amanda Holden, he also got involved with the Feeding Brighter Futures campaign, run by Pedigree, working to provide meals for rescue dogs to ease the pressure on underfunded canine charities.
O’Grady’s Royal Connection
As part of his ambassadorship with Battersea, O’Grady agreed to work with the Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the charity and highlight the need to offer rescue dogs new homes and better life chances. O’Grady, who had previously expressed strong opinions about the Royal Family, commended the Queen Consort on her warmth and love for dogs. During the celebration show, the duo was pleased to see that one of the dogs being highlighted in the production was rehomed.
O’Grady’s Passion Continues
Although O’Grady no longer hosts his own talk show, his love of dogs is still widely acknowledged, and he now owns five dogs together with his husband. His current dog family consists of Nancy, Sausage, Conchita, Arfur and Eddie. He is also a passionate advocate for dog events such as the iconic Crufts, having taken part in the agility portion of the competition previously and being a regular spectator of the show each year.
His passion for dogs and their wellbeing remains a huge part of his life and he has said that he will always be willing to help any dog that needs him in the future.
Keep up the great work, Paul!
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