Paul O'Grady is well known for being an animal lover.
He is often spotted at Battersea Cats and Dogs home where he battles off the temptation to sneak a new furry friend home with him each time he visits. The For the Love of Dogs host shares his home with a menagerie of pets including dogs, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and alpacas.
Paul is a supporter of many charities, Ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and Save the Children, and a patron of, among others, Orangutan Appeal UK and Wildlife SOS. The 65-year-old is also an advocate for animal rights, and often speaks out against animal exploitation and cruelty.
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But while he often shares adorable pictures on his social media, showing him getting his face licked by puppies or feeding his pigs strawberries, his relationship with animals doesn't always come with a happy ending. The 66-year-old has recently had to return his latest foster dog Tulip after things got too much, reported The Mirror.
During his ITV show Paul O'Grady for the Love of Dogs: What Happened Next, Paul quickly fell in love with an American bull dog and couldn't resist taking her home to live alongside his five rescue dogs - Nancy, Arfur, Conchita, Eddie and Sausage. But as soon as she arrived home, she started acting out and disturbing the broadcaster and his other dogs - turning his home into a stressful environment for all.
Her sudden outbursts left his other dogs shaking - so to restore the harmony in his home, Paul had to make a difficult decision. With a heavy heart, he returned her to the rescue centre but has been cheered up knowing she has already been placed into another home and is getting on well with her new owner's other dog.
Paul has been forced to say goodbye to a number of animals throughout the years - with one being the iconic Buster who died of cancer aged 14. The shih tzu bichon frise cross became a familiar furry face after taking up a regular spot alongside the star on Channel 4's The Paul O'Grady Show.
He was put down by vets in 2009 after being diagnosed with the disease and appearing to be in considerable pain, leaving the broadcaster "absolutely gutted". A page devoted to Buster on Channel 4's website read: "Having grown up on the Big Breakfast Show and Lily Live, he's happiest on television. The only downside to being on the show is all the baths he's made to have, as he's happiest rolling around in the dirt on Paul's farm."
Just four years later, Paul revealed how his beloved Olga, a cairn terrier cross, had been diagnosed with cancer. He signed her up to an intensive course of chemotherapy veterinary treatment at a cost of about £8,000 to try and pro-long her life.
The precious pooch managed to live another four years before taking her final breath at aged 14. After having her put down in his garden, he said: "I’m really sad but there was no choice but for Olga to be put to sleep.
"She was ready to go. At least I will have a good night’s sleep now. I have been up with her for two nights on the sofa. She’s been up in the night vomming and things. It’s the hardest thing to do but it’s the only thing to do.
"I knew it wasn’t Olga any more, she was a state. I shed my tears earlier on in the week. It’s heartbreaking but she had a great life. She loved television studios."
Sadly, the star was struck with a double tragedy after his two dogs, Bullseye and Boycie, died a year apart. Speaking about Bullseye, he told Radio 2: "I can't handle it, it's what I always say - invite an animal into your life, inevitably you invite heartache."
When breaking the news about Boycie on Twitter during the Covid-19 pandemic, the animal lover shared an adorable picture of the shih tzu enjoying a cuddle with his owner on the bed. He wrote: "A message from Paul... Sadly, he had to say goodbye to Boycie today. He asked me to share this photo."
Paul has dedicated much of his time to working with animals, including on the hit documentary Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs, which airs on ITV on Wednesdays. He has long been a vocal supporter of animal rights and is an ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, as well as a patron of charities including Orangutan Appeal UK and Wildlife SOS.
He breached his self-imposed clause in his contract, which is said to prohibit him from taking animals home from Battersea while filming, earlier this year. He mentioned this some years ago and revealed that "under no circumstances" was he allowed to go home with any more animals from Battersea.
But when welcoming Sausage, also known as Soz, into his home, he said: "I took this hairy little monster home. She's called Sausage, which isn't very original but it doesn't matter as she can't understand a word of English except 'biscuit.' She gets on with all the others except for Conchita who simply ignores her but Nancy loves her and together they’re a right pair of hooligans.
"So far Sausage has eaten her way through a couple of dog beds, an armchair, endless pairs of socks and shoes and the stair carpet but she’s the friendliest dog on the planet so what’s a pair of shoes between friends? Sausage loves cartoons or animations, call ‘em what you like. She’s been glued to the telly watching an animation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm with not a peep out of her. Keeps her quite anyway."
Despite having almost always shared his home with an animal, it wasn't until the pandemic when Paul moved in with his husband of almost five years, Andre. The smitten pair got together in the mid-2000s after meeting at a gay club in London called Showplace - and married in the summer of 2017.
Paul previously confessed that the idea of living separately from his husband was inspired by Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton - who famously lived apart throughout their marriage. He told Irish News: "We’re doing a Helena Bonham Carter and Tim whatshisname, and it works a treat.
"It’s the same as before. We see each other all the time. We just don’t live together, which for me makes for a perfect relationship because when you’ve had enough, you can say; 'I’ll see you, I’m off'.
"I’m a bit cranky of a morning. I’m a cobra. I don’t get up, I’m exhumed, and I slither down the stairs looking for trouble. But otherwise I’m fine. Andre’s pristine, you know, everything’s tidy – and I’m not."
However, when the pandemic struck and the strict isolation rules came to play, Paul decided it was time to move in with Andre so the pair could be close and look after their animal brood together.
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