The canine star of one of the most talked about TV shows is always camera ready thanks to regular health checks at a Petersfield vets.

Ponti, who is a client of St Peter’s Vets in St Peter’s Road, which is part of the VetPartners group of veterinary practices, is one of the stars of Rivals, the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s famous novel.

The seven-year-old male crossbreed appears on screen as Gertrude, the beloved pet of main character Taggie O’Hara, and is due to start filming series two this spring.

Ponti is owned by Laura Ingall, who runs Liphook-based Pets on Set and trains and provides animals – including dogs, cats, ferrets, donkeys, pigs and a parrot – for TV, film and commercials.

She says the cute canine, who is a rescue pet and had three homes before Laura adopted him, became a firm favourite on set with Dame Jilly and celebrity cast members including Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson and David Tennant.

Laura praised the care that St Peter’s Vets gives to her pets to help ensure they are in good condition for their turn in the spotlight.

She said: “The St Peter’s Vets team is lovely and always provide a caring service. Ponti needs to be in tip-top condition to appear in front of the cameras, and regular health checks help with that. They’ve also been there for me in emergencies, such as when one of my cats swallowed a piece of plastic and needed surgery.”

Matt Tyler, a vet at St Peter’s Vets and one of the practice’s clinical directors, commented: “It’s lovely to see Ponti when he comes into the practice. Luckily, he’s a very healthy dog and we mainly see him for routine preventative healthcare, but it’s always a special day when we welcome a TV star to the practice.”