The Queen Consort will appear in a one-off special of Paul O’Grady’s hit TV show For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The festive episode will see Camilla, patron and long-term advocate of the animal welfare charity, hosting a garden party at Clarence House in her previous role as the Duchess of Cornwall, in celebration of the milestone anniversary.
Later in the hour-long TV special, the royal will join presenter O’Grady at Battersea’s Brands Hatch site to meet some of the abandoned dogs struggling to be rehomed and assist with their care and treatment in the hope they will find a new home before Christmas.
O’Grady, who is an ambassador for the organisation, said: “In the 11 years that I’ve been filming at Battersea, I’ve never known it so busy.
“What’s worrying is, there are a lot of dogs in here who would be classed as hard to home. Dogs with disabilities, blind dogs, you name it, we’ve got them in here at the moment.”
Top of O’Grady’s rehoming list is a blind Jack Russell, a giant Schnauzer with a life-threatening gastric issue and a puppy fighting all the odds to survive.
Battersea Brands Hatch opened in 1999 and helps dogs and cats that suffer from stress or anxiety in the charity’s busy London centre.
It is surrounded by 12 acres of fields and has re-homed around 3,000 dogs and cats over the last five years alone.
For The Love Of Dogs has scooped many awards over the years including three National Television awards and four TV Choice awards.
The series, based at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, captured the hearts of the nation with its emotional tales of dogs searching for a second chance in life.
Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs – Royal Special will air over the Christmas season on ITV and ITVX.
