For the Love of Dogs

O'Grady era

O'Grady said he had wanted to make such a show for years and approached it with an enthusiasm that surprised everyone except him. Although initially scheduled to film at Battersea for six days, he stayed as a volunteer for six months.

After the first series ended, he was invited to become an ambassador for the home. Following his death, the episode A Royal Special, originally aired in December 2022, was repeated on ITV on 29 March 2023. In October 2023, Battersea announced a new veterinary hospital would be named after O'Grady, and a tribute fund in his honour would support life-saving medical procedures for animals needing specialist care.

Awards

The show earned back-to-back National Television Awards for Most Popular Factual Entertainment Programme in 2013 and 2014. A 2014 nomination in the Most Popular Factual Programme category went to Gogglebox instead. It reclaimed the award in 2019, defeating Gogglebox for the first time in five years, and won again in 2023. A 2013 BAFTA nomination for Best Features Programme also came its way.

Did You Know?

• Head vet Shaun Opperman and head of canine welfare training Ali Taylor are among the staff who talk about the dogs in their care.
• Each episode showcases a few dogs that come to Battersea as strays or because their owners can no longer look after them, and follows each dog's progress through the home.