Meghan Markle has ended her patronage with an animal welfare charity after the death of her ‘dear friend’ and fellow animal lover.
The Duchess of Sussex served as figure head of Mayhew, which works to ‘improve the lives of cats and dogs, for three years.
She was inspired to join the charity by animal behaviourist Oli Juste who died in January. In a heartfelt tribute to her long-time friend, the duchess said his sudden passing left her ‘heartbroken’.
Meghan also recounted how Mr Juste and his fiancé Rob cared for her rescue dog Beagle ‘as if he were their own’ when she first moved to the UK.
‘We shared, amongst many things, a commitment to animal welfare, and a deep love of rescue dogs,’ the duchess wrote in a message published on Mayhew’s website.
‘In fact, it was Oli and his fiancé Rob who helped care for my rescue dog, Guy, when I had just moved to the UK and he was recovering from a debilitating accident. They loved him as though he was their own.’
The charity is now setting up the Oli Juste wing in his memory to shelter animals who may have a harder time finding their forever homes.
‘Because much like Oli, they will never be forgotten, and they will always be loved,’ Meghan added.
Two years after she and Prince Harry moved to Los Angeles, California, Meghan confirmed her time as the charity’s patron has ended.
Over the past few years, the Sussexes have adopted a number of rescue dogs including Guy, a Beagle, and a black Labrador thought to be named Pula.
Howard Bridges, Mayhew’s chief executive, said ‘we have mutually agreed to end the patronage’, which expired at the beginning of the year.
The duchess added: ‘Though my time as patron of Mayhew has come to a close, my unwavering support has not. I encourage each of you to support in whatever way you are able.
‘The emotional support of a rescue animal is unparalleled-as you’ll soon realise: it is not you who saves them, it is they who save you.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.