Pete Wicks’ dog died of a heart attack.
The ‘Only Way is Essex’ star has remained tight-lipped on how his beloved pet pooch Ernest passed away back in 2016, but he has finally revealed the gorgeous French Bulldog – who he got from a breeder – had a heart murmur and the organ gave up.
Speaking on ‘This Morning’ on Thursday (22.02.18), he said: "Ernest was from a breeder and I ended up paying a lot of money for Ernest because he just looked amazing and that’s what people do. He ended up having a heart murmur and then a heart attack. I thought they were quite good breeders, I went and saw the mum and the dad, but I think a lot of people don’t look into the breeders properly."
Although French Bulldogs are known for having breathing problems due to their flat noses, the 29-year-old hunk’s other dog Eric is "good as gold" – but he does try to limit how excited he gets because he doesn’t want him to pant too much.
He explained: "Eric is a puppy that was smuggled in from Eastern Europe and, touch wood, he’s good as gold … I’ve done quite a lot of work with different charities … there are so many dogs that need homes and I think a lot of people just go out and get these dogs from top-class breeders rather than worrying about giving a dog a proper home."
Pete is determined to encourage people to adopt rather than shop because it infuriates him that people get dogs and then give them away because they can’t handle them.
He said: "When I was younger, I loved dogs. When I was about 19, my mum got me a rescue but she dealt with all the bad bits. But it wasn’t until I got Ernest that I really realised what a responsibility having a dog would be. I didn’t really think through when I first got Ernest. It’s a lifestyle thing, you’ve got to be able to care for your dog properly and I think a lot of people just go on how their dog looks or what they think a cool dog is."
Pete Wicks’ dog died of heart attack
