13 December 2023 , 16:13
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Keeley Hawes has introduced a new addition to her family - in the form of a giant, teddy bear-like dog.
The 47-year-old actress has been married to 49-year-old Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen since 2004 and together they share two children; 19-year-old daughter Maggie and 17-year-old son Ralph. Keeley also shares a 23-year-old son named Myles from her first marriage to Spencer McCallum which lasted from 2001 until 2004.
The family have a pet dog named Buster - but another set of paws has been added to the mix with the arrival of a huge new dog, just in time for Christmas. And the Bodyguard star explained that she has adopted the animal from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home charity.
Taking to Instagram, Keeley shared a photo of herself sitting in a well-floored office space while holding her dog Buster close to her. The new dog was in the foreground of the image, with their paws on top of a desk and sporting a quizzical expression while looking directly at the camera.
Keeley Hawes introduced her new dog to fans on social media (Instagram)Sharing the snap online, Keeley - who was flashing a beaming smile in the background - introduced her new pooch to her followers. The star wrote: “Thank you @battersea for the newest member of our family. We couldn’t love her more. Buster is recovering.”
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It isn’t just Keeley and her family who are in love with her new dog - as many of her social media follower have fallen for the fluffy pooch too. One fan gushed in the comments section of her post: “She is going straight into my Instagram album, titled pooches I Adore.”
Another gasped: “You have a gigantic teddy and I am in love!!” While a further fan praised the actress for taking a dog off the streets, writing: “Thank you for rescuing a dog!”
Keeley is married to Matthew Macfadyen (James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)
The couple met on the set of the BBC show Spooks (BBC)Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has been helping rescue and regime animals for 163 years, having been founded back in 1860. Those working at the charity take great pride in caring for the animals that come into the building - and go to great lengths to match the right dogs and cats with the right owners.
In their mission statement, the charity explains: “Every animal arriving at Battersea is given an abundance of love and attention, not to mention a tailored care plan and any medical treatment needed. Then, once they're ready to find a new home, we use the knowledge we've built up by spending time with them to expertly match each animal to the owner that best suits their individual character. And if we see they have skills or quirks that aren't suited to a domestic environment, we'll find them a working role to help them thrive.”
Christmas has traditionally been a time of year when pets are given to families and loves ones as gifts - only for the animals to be given away or abandoned when the responsibility of caring for a living animals becomes too much for some. While the impact of unwanted pets can be hidden until months after the festive season.
Steve Craddock, London Centre Manager at Battersea, explained to the Express last year: "Whilst Battersea doesn’t usually see an increase in the number of animals arriving at Christmas, we do however notice more animals being brought to our centres during the Spring and summertime.
"We believe this could be due to animals being bought as Christmas presents a few months earlier, with many of these animals arriving as strays, suggesting they may have been given up by owners who perhaps felt they had no other choice. We would always urge people who are considering getting a pet to consider the financial and long-term commitments involved in owning a pet. Battersea estimates the typical annual cost of owning a cat is around £1,500 per year, while the typical annual cost of owning a dog is around £2,000 per year."