EASTENDERS star Shona McGarty has been left devastated at the death of her family dog Mitch.
The soap star – who plays Whitney Dean on the BBC One soap – said she bought the black and white Jack Russell with her first EastEnders pay check at the age of 16.
EastEnders’ Shona McGarty said goodbye to her adorable pooch Mitch
The Jack Russell sadly passed away
Shona praised the sweet animal for being there for her during her darkest times
Shona, now 31, decided to name the four-legged animal after co-star Steve McFadden’s onscreen character Phil Mitchell, as they shared similar “feisty” traits.
Shona shared a series of sweet photos of Mitch, from when he was a small puppy, to pictures of him all grown up.
In one photo, the TV favourite was seen posing with the furry pet and in another picture Mitch was keeping Shona company while she slept.
The telly star penned a heartwarming message, writing: “When I got the job on EastEnders, still living at home, and my first pay check at the age of 16, I bought a gorgeous little pup, for my family.
“A gorgeous black and white Jack Russell.
“When I met him he was so vocal, a real feisty little fella. A bit like Phil Mitchell. So, I decided to name him Mitch. After Mitchell of course.”
The actress – who recently split from co-star Max Bowden – praised the adorable pooch for being there during her darkest times.
“He made us so happy, and we had so much fun,” she continued.
“My sister, Mitch and I grew up together. He loved dressing up, he loved his ball, he loved trying to bite the shadows on the walls! He had such a kind heart, he’d catch mice or flies, and just want to play with them, never hurt them.
“He was so incredibly fast! He’d show off, and out run all the other dogs in the park. He was also a huge flirt with the ladies.
“He changed our lives. He showed us so much love. He was there for me when I was upset, or hurt, he was always right beside me.
“Today, we lost my little mate – we’ll remember you always Mitchy, Rest in peace.”
It comes after Shona called time on her short romance with her EastEnders co-star Max Bowden.
She broke things off shortly after he became a dad for the first time with his ex-girlfriend.
A source said: “There has been a lot going on in Max’s life and things were just getting too complicated with Shona being involved.
“Max will always have a lot of love and respect for Shona but it’s just not the right time.
“Everyone is trying to make things as least awkward as possible on set – luckily they don’t have many scenes together.”
A friend close to the couple added: “Max and Shona have never spoken on it publicly but as their close circle would know, they were never in an official relationship.
“They remain close friends who decided not to pursue anything romantic a number of months ago.“
Last month Max’s ex Roisin Buckle gave birth to a baby boy following their split in April.
Max and Shona went Instagram official in August of this year after The Celeb Report revealed their secret romance and told how they had become “inseparable”.
It came as a friend of Max’s ex Roisin revealed she felt “humiliated and disrespected” when she learned of his closeness to his fellow cast member.
Shona is best known for playing Whitney Dean in EastEnders
