EastEnders actress Shona McGarty has opened up about the difficult decision to have her beloved dog Coco put to sleep following a period of ill health.
Uploading some photos of Coco to Instagram yesterday (January 2), Shona shared an emotional announcement, reading: "Today has been one of the hardest decisions I'll ever make. My beautiful fur baby Coco Chanel, will be put to sleep at 3.30pm.
"Coco has fought through heart failure for years. I've done everything I could, every treatment, every medication, but they just aren't working anymore, and my brave little bubba has had enough. And even though you're so sick, you still kiss my nose."
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McGarty, who plays Whitney Dean on EastEnders, revealed how she'd been away from the family home while working on a pantomime for the last six weeks, missing Coco "like crazy" during that time.
She added that Coco's health had sadly "really deteriorated" over the last week or so.
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"Myself and your little sister Cece, will miss your happy little face, and gorgeous minstrel eyes, my precious little 'Coco bean' my silly 'Coco Loco'," the soap star's caption continued.
"Thank you for the best 10 years of my life. You know all my fears, [anxieties], and secrets. You saw me through some of the worst times and struggles in my life. We'll never forget you. I love you."
Related: EastEnders star Shona McGarty confirmed for new role after exit news
On a professional note, McGarty will soon step away from Walford as Whitney and told Inside Soap: "The door's open and I could always come back in the future.
"But at the moment, I want to pursue things that are in my heart, like singing – stuff that I've been doing since childhood and dreaming about.
"EastEnders has been amazing; I just want to do other things."
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
