Wellard

:"For the Perth suburb, see Wellard, Western Australia"Infobox EastEnders character


caption=Kyte as Wellard in 2008.
character_name=Wellard
actor_name=Zenna
Chancer
Kyte
years=1994–2008
first=18 October 1994
last=15 August 2008
Date of death=15 August 2008
home=31 Albert Square
species = Dog
status=Deceased
owner= Mr. Hammond
(1994)
Robbie Jackson
(1994–2003)
Sonia Jackson
(2003)
Gus Smith
(2003–2008)
Mickey Miller
(2008)
Vinnie Monks
(2008)
Bianca Jackson
(2008)


caption2 =Zenna as Wellard in 1994.

Wellard was a fictional dog in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders". He is a Belgian Tervuren, though all the dogs that have played him have all been female. Wellard has been played by three different dogs in total, most recently Kyte, before that her mother Chancer, [cite news|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20011116223157/www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/wellard_fact.shtml|title=Wellard|publisher="BBC" | accessdate=2008-06-26] and originally her grandmother Zenna who was retired in 1998. [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60641553.html|title=Soap star takes a bow wow; EastEnder mongrel Wellard hides a secret - he's really a pedigree SHE|publisher="The People" | accessdate=2008-06-26] Additionally, a "doggy double" was used in replacement for Wellard in 1996, when Zenna was given time off to have a litter of puppies. [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-61131536.html|title=IT'S WELLARD No 3!|publisher="The People" | accessdate=2008-06-26]

Kyte comes from a company called Stunt Dogs along with another of "EastEnders, whilst also appearing as Maximus"' dog in Gladiator, Terence. The dog had appeared on television and in films beforehand in "A Touch of Frost", "The Jonny Vaughan Show", "102 Dalmatians" and "Gladiator". [cite news|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20021126005500/www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/wellard_fact.shtml|title=Kyte|publisher="BBC" | accessdate=2008-06-26]

Wellard was voted as "Best Pet" at the 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7308450.stm|title=EastEnders wins Digital Spy prize |publisher="BBC News" | accessdate=2008-06-26] In June 2008, BBC News reported that Wellard was being killed off. [cite news|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article1341038.ece|title='Ard his chips|publisher="The Sun" | date = 2008-06-26| accessdate=2008-06-26] [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7475039.stm|title=Soap dog Wellard to be killed off |publisher="BBC News" | accessdate=2008-06-26]

History

Wellard's first appearance in Albert Square was on 18 October 1994. He was spotted by Robbie Jackson and his friend Kevin, who assumed he was a stray. Robbie named him Wellard (short for "well hard", meaning "very tough"). Wellard's owner, Mr. Hammond, demanded the dog back and Robbie handed him over. However, Wellard soon returned to the Square and Robbie realised he was being mistreated by his owner and had run away. Mr Hammond later admitted to neglecting Wellard, and allowed Robbie to keep him. The pair became best friends.Following this Wellard played Russell Crowe`s dog in Gladiator.

Wellard once fathered puppies with Grant Mitchell and Nigel Bates's dog, Frieda; however, the puppies were stillborn.

Robbie once ended a relationship with girlfriend Tina when it turned out she was allergic to dogs and gave him the ultimatum of "the dog or me". Robbie chose Wellard. When Robbie was due to leave Walford in February 2003 to live in India, Wellard was run over and delayed Robbie's departure. Wellard was looked after by Gus Smith.

In December 2003 he was involved in the mini bus crash and saved the day when he led Gus Smith and Martin Fowler to where they could call the emergency services

In October 2005, Wellard bit Ian Beale on the bottom in the café. Despite Gus's apologies, Ian reported Wellard to the police. Gus hid Wellard at the allotments, and later at the Slaters' home, however, Ian eventually tracked the dog down and turned up with the police who took Wellard away. In December 2005, Gus tried to make some money so he was able to visit Wellard in "prison".

The day after Deano Wicks arrived in the Square, he designed a t-shirt for Gus as part of the "Walford One Owed Freedom" (WOOF) campaign. The t-shirts were a huge success.

Ian and Gus appeared in court on January 12 2006 for Wellard's trial. Before the trial, Ian's partner, Jane Collins, gave Gus character witness statements for Wellard written by Ian's children, Lucy and Peter. Although Wellard was found guilty, because of these statements, there was no order to destroy Wellard, so Gus was free to take him back home, as long as he kept him on a lead at all times.

In the week beginning 9 July Wellard was kidnapped after Mickey Miller left him outside the café. The kidnapper turned out to be Bert's Grandson Jay, and he demanded money for his release but since then, Jay's dad turned up out of the blue and let Wellard go, back to a relieved Gus.

On the episode shown on 17 April 2008 Gus was led to believe that he was eating Wellard in a spaghetti dish that Sean Slater had made. Later that month, Sean set Wellard free but he came back to Gus.

On May 1st 2008, Gus left Walford to travel with his girlfriend Keisha. He left Wellard in the care of Mickey Miller. Wellard was sold to Vinnie as a present for Shirley, but she did not want him. Whitney traded a pineapple for Wellard, so Tiffany could be happy, but Tiffany had already found another dog to love - Roxy Mitchell's dog Albert!

On the 26th of June 2008 it was revealed that Wellard will be killed off before the end of the year.

Death

On the 15th August 2008 Wellard was euthanised at home by a veterinary surgeon, with Bianca in attendance and the rest of the Jackson family waiting in the kitchen, in response to his suffering from a yet undescribed terminal illness. The weekend afterwards, Tiffany overheard Ian Beale on the phone and believed that he had poisoned Wellard which caused him to become ill. This storyline has generated much interest and blogs have suggested that the BBC are to pursue this with talk of a postmortem examination (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080810073157AAZYDPN) and that Bianca killed Wellard (http://msnuktvsoaps.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!E65397F19A3BDCEA!3384.entry). There have been a number of contributions to this page regarding Wellard's death; results of the postmortem (if performed) will hopefully provide closure.

The Chocolate poisoning theory first posted here a day afer the episode being screened is now gathering momemnetum ; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080818124301AA90mAr The original submission subsequently removed as "speculation" was:

"In the episode of Eastenders broadcast on BBC1 on 14 August 2008, Bianca mentions a lost box of chocolates and blames Ricky for eating them; the programme then cut to Wellard lying on the floor at what was the start of his last great part in Eastenders. Perhaps Wellard ate the chocolates resulting in Theobromide poisoning, the symptoms of which are: 1) Vomiting 2) Diarrhoea 3) Diuresis (Urinary incontinence) 4) Hyperactivity 5) Rapid breathing/heartbeat 6) Muscle tremors 7) Seizures 8) Coma

"There is no cure to Theobromide poisoning, but if treated within two hours since ingestion, there is a chance that the dog can be saved…perhaps Ricky and Bianca should have called the vet on Thursday night. (Ref: http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_chocolatetoxicosis.htm)"

It was revealed on the 21st August 2008, that Wellard was killed by eating chocolate and that they found a wrapper inside him which Bianca had fed him.

Wellard was cremated and his ashes were scattered on the allotment; "he used to like it there".

In popular culture

Wellard's, the internet company, was so-named in honour of the Belgian Shepherd Dog.

For Red Nose Day 2007, Aardman Animations created a "Creature Comforts" style short featuring Wellard asking for money for Comic Relief, along with selling his offspring and being put in prison.

References

External links

*EEcharlink|wellard