Panto queen Twink has been left heartbroken after the death of her beloved dog.
The entertainer and animal lover adopted Rita from Dunboyne Pound over 10 years ago after former Celtic Woman singer Lisa Kelly spotted her on their website.
But she revealed that two weeks ago the pet, who was diabetic, took a turn for the worse and suddenly went blind.
Paying tribute on Facebook, Twink wrote: “We are heartbroken. Last night we had to say goodbye to our beloved little Muttie Rita Kelly.
“It was Lisa Kelly who from the USA saw her pathetic little face on their website.
“I said no, no, no, I can’t take in another mutt, but of course I had to go out just to, eh, see her. Love at first sight. A week later she was ours.”
Rita had been knocked down and had her tail damaged but in recent years she had to have several operations for cancer.
Twink said: “After the last one she was diagnosed as diabetic. I religiously gave her an insulin injection at noon and midnight for months. That was only the start of what was to be a variable veterinary pharmacy of stuff I subsequently had to get down daily.
“Until two weeks ago when over a matter of days she went blind. It was a sufferance to watch her confusion as to what was going on but Rita being Rita, she even came to grips with that and was navigating brilliantly... walks and all.
“However, it all started to go downhill rapidly.”
The mum of two took her to the vet but they said they could do no more for her as she was “too frail” for another operation but “too ill” to get better.
Twink also thanked the “three skilled and wonderful vets” who had cared for Rita.
