Paul O’Grady was known for many things throughout his long career in television, but his For The Love of Dogs show on ITV was probably the project that reflected his own personality the most.
The programme ran for eleven seasons, and is centred around the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London, a charity that O’Grady was a proud ambassador for.
Now, it has been revealed that the television icon who passed away in March of last year, allocated a whopping half a million pounds to the charity in his will.
The Liverpudlian had five pet dogs of his own, and set aside £125,000 for them to be looked after following his death.
O’Grady, who was renowned for his generosity through his life, also donated £50,000 to elephant and orangutan charities – Wildlife SOS and the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
The former drag star gave another £50,000 to the Salvation Army.
Chief Executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Peter Laurie told The Sun: “Battersea is truly overwhelmed and deeply grateful to be remembered by our late friend and Ambassador, Paul, in his Will.
“This further shows what we knew to be true of Paul during his life, his unwavering commitment and devotion to helping the thousands of animals that arrive at our centres every year,” he added.
“Working alongside our staff to look after the dogs and cats that need our support, Paul was able to see the unconditional care, support and expertise that goes into helping the animals both at our centres and beyond.
“Many of our animals arrive with complex medical conditions and it can take many weeks for some of them to find homes; as a champion for the underdog we know that Paul would have left his gift to Battersea with these animals in mind.”
Battersea paid tribute to O’Grady last October when they named their new veterinary hospital after the presenter.
Last December, O’Grady was named Peta’s person of the year for his “lifelong determination to make the world a kinder place for animals”.
Fans reacted to his bountiful donations on social media, and commended his kindness and ‘big heart’.
One woman on Facebook wrote: “He was what he was, a genuine person.
He had a very kind heart and will always be remembered for his love and kindness to animals.
Nobody can replace him at Battersea.”
Another commented: “No surprise really, a genuine and kind hearted human being.
Even after he’s gone, he continues to help others, especially animals.
A lovely legacy to leave.”
Related: Gyles Brandreth stitched up in the best way possible during Kate Middleton saga