Canine TV star receives red carpet treatment at Hampshire vets
The canine tv star of one of the most talked about TV shows is always camera ready thanks to regular health checks at a Hampshire vets.
Ponti, who is a client of St Peter’s Vets in Petersfield, which is part of the VetPartners group of veterinary practices, is one of the stars of Rivals, the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s famous novel.
The seven-year-old crossbreed, who is male, appears on screen as Gertrude, the beloved pet of main character Taggie O’Hara, and is due to start filming Series 2 this spring.
Ponti is owned by Laura Ingall, who runs Liphook-based Pets on Set and trains and provides animals – including dogs, cats, ferrets, donkeys, pigs and a parrot – for TV, film and commercials.
She says the cute canine, who is a rescue pet and had three homes before Laura adopted him, became a firm favourite on set with Dame Jilly and celebrity cast members including Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson and David Tennant.
Laura praised the care that St Peter’s Vets in St Peter’s Road, Petersfield, gives to her pets to help ensure they are in good condition for their turn in the spotlight.
Laura said: “The St Peter’s Vets team is lovely and always provide a caring service. Ponti needs to be in tip-top condition to appear in front of the cameras, and regular health checks help with that. They’ve also been there for me in emergencies, such as when one of my cats swallowed a piece of plastic and needed surgery.”
Matt Tyler, a vet at St Peter’s Vets and one of the practice’s clinical directors, said: “It’s lovely to see Ponti when he comes into the practice. Luckily, he’s a very healthy dog and we mainly see him for routine preventative healthcare, but it’s always a special day when we welcome a TV star to the practice. All of Laura’s animals are a pleasure to care for and they’re always so well behaved.”
St Peter’s Vets has practices in Petersfield, Liss, Horndean and Farlington and puts the care of pets, care of people and care of each other above all else. It is part of VetPartners, which owns some of the UK and Europe’s most respected and trusted veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses.