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Peter Egan
And then there were six.....
by Andi Godfrey
Peter with 4 month old, Pippa
Peter Egan scores highly in the ranks of Britain’s most gifted actors and I have followed his career with enthusiasm for many years, so when I was invited to his beautiful Hampstead home to meet his wife, Myra and his dogs, understandably I was thrilled.
I swung my car into the drive and, having parked, searched for the front door. I am always a bit fearful when visiting a house for the first time that it might be the wrong one, but in this case I need not have worried, a chorus of barking left me in no doubt that this was the place I was looking for. As I waited for the doorbell to be answered, two Staffies appeared at the side gate, their bodies wriggling with the pleasure at meeting a new visitor, a black Labrador drew up behind idly waving her tail in acknowledgment of my presence, and, at the back, there was an intermittent appearance of a small lurcher, ears erect, springing up and down as if to say, “Let me see! Let me see!”
Peter ushered me into the kitchen where I was introduced to his charming wife, Myra who immediately made me feel welcome. A yellow Labrador struggled up from his comfortable bed to say, ‘hello’. Seeing he was a little arthritic, I wanted to tell him not to bother to get up, but being a polite little fellow, he insisted. A collie cross made a hesitant appearance from behind the kitchen table. This was DJ, who I was to learn has a special affinity with Peter, but before I had time to get to know him, I was swamped with enthusiastic Staffie kisses. She was so intent on her purpose that she had to be hauled out of the room in order to allow the interview to commence!
The lovely DJ Pippa
We sat at the kitchen table, Peter with a younger Staffie recumbent on his knee while Myra made coffee.
“I’m sorry!” said Peter, waving a magazine above the Staffie, “One of the dogs has farted.”
“It’s extraordinary” Myra chipped in, “Peter has never once farted since we’ve had the dogs!
“Neither have I for that matter. But it can be a bit embarrassing when you blame the dog and find there are none in the room!”
Only dedicated dog owners can have an in depth conversation about diarrhoea and flatulence as comparative strangers without turning a hair. Well, maybe dog owners and actors?
Myra left us to it and Peter, without needing a prompt, launched into the history of his dogs.
His gentle immersion into the world of dogs started 25 years ago when he and Myra decided to buy a black Labrador, that was when Crackers was introduced to the family. They were living in Chiswick at the time and soon after acquiring Crackers, a yellow lab collapsed at Myra’s feet in the street. It was a stray and had been feeding out of the dustbins for some time. As a dog in need, one could not choose a better place to pass out, Myra is as soft-hearted as Peter when it comes to canines.
She took the dog to the vet who diagnosed kidney failure. Despite a poor prognosis, Myra took the dog home where she fed, treated him and nursed him back to health. Once Custard, as he had been named, had fully recovered, Peter was determined that he would be on his way. They had one dog and three cats already and that was quite enough. Custard was definitely going to be rehomed. Whenever the subject was brought up, Peter would put up his hand to shield the dog’s face from his view, but when he dropped it, the eyes would remain intently fixed upon him, until eventually, he gave in and agreed that Custard could stay.
Both Crackers and Custard lived to a ripe old age. In 1993 Peter and his family moved to Hampstead and in 1997 Custard died. By that time there was only Crackers and one cat, a beautiful black Burmese called Dasher. Crackers and Dasher had never really taken to one another, and here they were, the only surviving pets. Gradually it dawned on the two to bond and in Peter’s words, ‘it was wonderful to watch this transformation.’
Dog rescue started at the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) 14 years ago. Peter and Myra decided that Crackers needed some canine company so they went to Watford and found the perfect candidate. It was Sam, the lovely yellow lab who had greeted me in the kitchen. He had been handed into the centre by a single mum, who had soon realised that the cuddly puppy, so lovable in a certain advert, was rapidly turning into a strapping, energetic dog with which she would not be able to cope. Peter had doubted whether the dog had ever been out on a lead and was soon proved to be right. He took the young dog onto the Heath and could not understand why he was struggling to walk. Looking at the dog’s feet, his pads were as pink and smooth as a newly born pup!
Sam took to Crackers immediately and would spend hours washing her eyes and ears. Soon he would take up the Alpha position and Crackers was happy to accept until she died at the age of 15 years.
Peter paused, possibly struggling with the memory of her loss.
“What would you like me to talk about?” he said suddenly.
“Well, tell me about the dogs, if you like.....”
Peter continued without hesitation. No further encouragement was needed.
The NAWT heightened the Egan’s interest in the dog world and The NAWT were obviously pleased to be patronised by a well known actor, so Peter was invited to look at their new cattery. While examining the new premises, Peter spotted a washing up bowl in the corner with two eyes peeping out. The eyes belonged to a small puppy, a collie cross. The staff explained that they had nowhere else to put him. Peter had had collies in his family as a child.
“This was DJ. He was to become my ‘gatekeeper’*. There was an instant bond that can only be likened to falling deeply in love.”
Myra had found a small whippet lurcher puppy (Fynn) at the back of a cage in the cattery that same day. Both dogs joined the family bringing the canine total to three.
Sam had been very bonded to Crackers but when he was introduced to the puppies, he looked aghast as if to say,
“Hey! What’s going on here? I know I missed Crackers to begin with, but I thought we were all perfectly happy now, so what have you done?” But soon he came to accept the new recruits.
Franca, a leading light at the NAWT, persuaded Peter that he should even up the balance and have four dogs. Myra agreed but decided that they must have a bitch to even up the chemistry. Soon Franca contacted them to say that a litter of Border crosses had come in. As soon as the Egans arrived at the centre, Franca handed Myra a puppy. Myra was cuddling the pup when Franca realised that she had made a mistake by handing her a male.
“I can’t give him back now, I’ve held him!” exclaimed Myra.
.....and so four dogs came to live with the Egan’s.
Tucker was a very relaxed, confident, middle of the road, easy-going kind of a guy. He was a natural born herdsman and would keep a check on the rest of the pack while out walking on the heath, always returning to Peter or Myra to nudge his nose in the palm of a hand.
Peter haltered. I knew the next part of the story was going to be difficult for him.
At the age of three, Tucker developed epilepsy, but soldiered on happily under medication.
Cassie and Peter with........guess who? Yes, Pippa in the foreground
In the meantime, Cassie, the black Labrador had joined the family bringing the dog count to five. She came from ‘All Dogs Matter’. Cassie had a slight pot belly when she arrived through being malnourished but now she has a waistline to die for. It is difficult to believe that she has ever been neglected such is the sheen on her coat.
Sadly Tucker did not make old bones. His epilepsy had improved and it was decided that the medication should be reduced. Soon afterwards Tucker suffered a series of fits and finally ended up in a coma. Peter was in the middle of filming ‘Midsummer Murders’ at the time and vividly remembers taking Tucker to the vet at 4 a.m. It was to be for the last time. It is evident that the pain of Peter’s loss is still raw even a year hence.
Peter became involved with ‘All Dogs Matter’ after meeting Alec Burns who was walking a Dobermann and a Mastiff on the Heath. He told Peter that a charity had been set up by three people who had all been volunteers at the Mayhew. They had no centre to work from but homed, kennelled and fostered from their mobile phones.
“The phones never stopped ringing.” Peter said.
“They now have a shop in Highgate as a base. Last year they rehomed over 300 dogs. They tend to concentrate on Staffies, knowing the deep-seated problem that exists.”
Peter added that he was an avid supporter of neutering and is known to frequently bore people on the subject.
Keen to get involved with the charity, Peter decided to help by fostering. Megan, a Staffie was the first. She been used as a breeder and had been discarded. Her teats were so elongated that they nearly touched the ground and she was deeply traumatised. During the first week at the Egan’s house, all she did was to crawl around on her belly. Megan cannot be described as nervous or traumatised any longer, she was the one who had confidently flung her paws around my neck and tried to lick me to death! But, as Peter saw Megan on the road to recovery, he realised that he could not put her through the upheaval of a further rehoming. It would have been so unfair to Megan!
Yes, it's Pippa again and Peter. Who loves ya Daddy?
Finally Pippa arrived a month ago as a foster dog. She is 4 months old and totally lovable and that is the only excuse Peter could give for her becoming their sixth dog, although Peter assures me that they had successfully fostered a few times without keeping the dogs, although it is always hard to pass them on.
Peter has been completely absorbed into the dog world and his admiration for the charity ‘All Dogs Matter’ is so great that he has become their Chairman and Trustee. Peter and Myra’s future plan is to move to the country where they can have ten or so kennels to foster properly.
I envy any dog that comes into the care of Peter and Myra but I cannot help but wonder how many dogs they will actually own in a few years time!
by Andi Godfrey
Peter with 4 month old, Pippa
Peter Egan scores highly in the ranks of Britain’s most gifted actors and I have followed his career with enthusiasm for many years, so when I was invited to his beautiful Hampstead home to meet his wife, Myra and his dogs, understandably I was thrilled.
I swung my car into the drive and, having parked, searched for the front door. I am always a bit fearful when visiting a house for the first time that it might be the wrong one, but in this case I need not have worried, a chorus of barking left me in no doubt that this was the place I was looking for. As I waited for the doorbell to be answered, two Staffies appeared at the side gate, their bodies wriggling with the pleasure at meeting a new visitor, a black Labrador drew up behind idly waving her tail in acknowledgment of my presence, and, at the back, there was an intermittent appearance of a small lurcher, ears erect, springing up and down as if to say, “Let me see! Let me see!”
Peter ushered me into the kitchen where I was introduced to his charming wife, Myra who immediately made me feel welcome. A yellow Labrador struggled up from his comfortable bed to say, ‘hello’. Seeing he was a little arthritic, I wanted to tell him not to bother to get up, but being a polite little fellow, he insisted. A collie cross made a hesitant appearance from behind the kitchen table. This was DJ, who I was to learn has a special affinity with Peter, but before I had time to get to know him, I was swamped with enthusiastic Staffie kisses. She was so intent on her purpose that she had to be hauled out of the room in order to allow the interview to commence!
The lovely DJ Pippa
We sat at the kitchen table, Peter with a younger Staffie recumbent on his knee while Myra made coffee.
“I’m sorry!” said Peter, waving a magazine above the Staffie, “One of the dogs has farted.”
“It’s extraordinary” Myra chipped in, “Peter has never once farted since we’ve had the dogs!
“Neither have I for that matter. But it can be a bit embarrassing when you blame the dog and find there are none in the room!”
Only dedicated dog owners can have an in depth conversation about diarrhoea and flatulence as comparative strangers without turning a hair. Well, maybe dog owners and actors?
Myra left us to it and Peter, without needing a prompt, launched into the history of his dogs.
His gentle immersion into the world of dogs started 25 years ago when he and Myra decided to buy a black Labrador, that was when Crackers was introduced to the family. They were living in Chiswick at the time and soon after acquiring Crackers, a yellow lab collapsed at Myra’s feet in the street. It was a stray and had been feeding out of the dustbins for some time. As a dog in need, one could not choose a better place to pass out, Myra is as soft-hearted as Peter when it comes to canines.
She took the dog to the vet who diagnosed kidney failure. Despite a poor prognosis, Myra took the dog home where she fed, treated him and nursed him back to health. Once Custard, as he had been named, had fully recovered, Peter was determined that he would be on his way. They had one dog and three cats already and that was quite enough. Custard was definitely going to be rehomed. Whenever the subject was brought up, Peter would put up his hand to shield the dog’s face from his view, but when he dropped it, the eyes would remain intently fixed upon him, until eventually, he gave in and agreed that Custard could stay.
Both Crackers and Custard lived to a ripe old age. In 1993 Peter and his family moved to Hampstead and in 1997 Custard died. By that time there was only Crackers and one cat, a beautiful black Burmese called Dasher. Crackers and Dasher had never really taken to one another, and here they were, the only surviving pets. Gradually it dawned on the two to bond and in Peter’s words, ‘it was wonderful to watch this transformation.’
Dog rescue started at the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) 14 years ago. Peter and Myra decided that Crackers needed some canine company so they went to Watford and found the perfect candidate. It was Sam, the lovely yellow lab who had greeted me in the kitchen. He had been handed into the centre by a single mum, who had soon realised that the cuddly puppy, so lovable in a certain advert, was rapidly turning into a strapping, energetic dog with which she would not be able to cope. Peter had doubted whether the dog had ever been out on a lead and was soon proved to be right. He took the young dog onto the Heath and could not understand why he was struggling to walk. Looking at the dog’s feet, his pads were as pink and smooth as a newly born pup!
Sam took to Crackers immediately and would spend hours washing her eyes and ears. Soon he would take up the Alpha position and Crackers was happy to accept until she died at the age of 15 years.
Peter paused, possibly struggling with the memory of her loss.
“What would you like me to talk about?” he said suddenly.
“Well, tell me about the dogs, if you like.....”
Peter continued without hesitation. No further encouragement was needed.
The NAWT heightened the Egan’s interest in the dog world and The NAWT were obviously pleased to be patronised by a well known actor, so Peter was invited to look at their new cattery. While examining the new premises, Peter spotted a washing up bowl in the corner with two eyes peeping out. The eyes belonged to a small puppy, a collie cross. The staff explained that they had nowhere else to put him. Peter had had collies in his family as a child.
“This was DJ. He was to become my ‘gatekeeper’*. There was an instant bond that can only be likened to falling deeply in love.”
Myra had found a small whippet lurcher puppy (Fynn) at the back of a cage in the cattery that same day. Both dogs joined the family bringing the canine total to three.
Sam had been very bonded to Crackers but when he was introduced to the puppies, he looked aghast as if to say,
“Hey! What’s going on here? I know I missed Crackers to begin with, but I thought we were all perfectly happy now, so what have you done?” But soon he came to accept the new recruits.
Franca, a leading light at the NAWT, persuaded Peter that he should even up the balance and have four dogs. Myra agreed but decided that they must have a bitch to even up the chemistry. Soon Franca contacted them to say that a litter of Border crosses had come in. As soon as the Egans arrived at the centre, Franca handed Myra a puppy. Myra was cuddling the pup when Franca realised that she had made a mistake by handing her a male.
“I can’t give him back now, I’ve held him!” exclaimed Myra.
.....and so four dogs came to live with the Egan’s.
Tucker was a very relaxed, confident, middle of the road, easy-going kind of a guy. He was a natural born herdsman and would keep a check on the rest of the pack while out walking on the heath, always returning to Peter or Myra to nudge his nose in the palm of a hand.
Peter haltered. I knew the next part of the story was going to be difficult for him.
At the age of three, Tucker developed epilepsy, but soldiered on happily under medication.
Cassie and Peter with........guess who? Yes, Pippa in the foreground
In the meantime, Cassie, the black Labrador had joined the family bringing the dog count to five. She came from ‘All Dogs Matter’. Cassie had a slight pot belly when she arrived through being malnourished but now she has a waistline to die for. It is difficult to believe that she has ever been neglected such is the sheen on her coat.
Sadly Tucker did not make old bones. His epilepsy had improved and it was decided that the medication should be reduced. Soon afterwards Tucker suffered a series of fits and finally ended up in a coma. Peter was in the middle of filming ‘Midsummer Murders’ at the time and vividly remembers taking Tucker to the vet at 4 a.m. It was to be for the last time. It is evident that the pain of Peter’s loss is still raw even a year hence.
Peter became involved with ‘All Dogs Matter’ after meeting Alec Burns who was walking a Dobermann and a Mastiff on the Heath. He told Peter that a charity had been set up by three people who had all been volunteers at the Mayhew. They had no centre to work from but homed, kennelled and fostered from their mobile phones.
“The phones never stopped ringing.” Peter said.
“They now have a shop in Highgate as a base. Last year they rehomed over 300 dogs. They tend to concentrate on Staffies, knowing the deep-seated problem that exists.”
Peter added that he was an avid supporter of neutering and is known to frequently bore people on the subject.
Keen to get involved with the charity, Peter decided to help by fostering. Megan, a Staffie was the first. She been used as a breeder and had been discarded. Her teats were so elongated that they nearly touched the ground and she was deeply traumatised. During the first week at the Egan’s house, all she did was to crawl around on her belly. Megan cannot be described as nervous or traumatised any longer, she was the one who had confidently flung her paws around my neck and tried to lick me to death! But, as Peter saw Megan on the road to recovery, he realised that he could not put her through the upheaval of a further rehoming. It would have been so unfair to Megan!
Yes, it's Pippa again and Peter. Who loves ya Daddy?
Finally Pippa arrived a month ago as a foster dog. She is 4 months old and totally lovable and that is the only excuse Peter could give for her becoming their sixth dog, although Peter assures me that they had successfully fostered a few times without keeping the dogs, although it is always hard to pass them on.
Peter has been completely absorbed into the dog world and his admiration for the charity ‘All Dogs Matter’ is so great that he has become their Chairman and Trustee. Peter and Myra’s future plan is to move to the country where they can have ten or so kennels to foster properly.
I envy any dog that comes into the care of Peter and Myra but I cannot help but wonder how many dogs they will actually own in a few years time!
• ‘Gatekeepers’ are said to be the guardians of our spiritual doorways. They force away evil and let in righteousness.
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