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Noel Fitzpatrick pays tribute to his dog Keira, who passed away

Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick broke down in tears on Saturday as he paid tribute to his beloved dog of nearly 14 years, Keira, who passed away last week.

The Irish TV vet, 53, was understandably emotional as he reflected on Keira's life and thanked fans for their 'kind thoughts' in a heartfelt video shared on Twitter.

Dressed in his veterinary uniform and patting his cat Ricochet on his lap, Noel - who previously treated Meghan Markle's dog and Russell Brand's cat - said Keira gave him 'hope' and made him 'the best' he could be. 

'Thank you so much everybody for all of your good wishes and your kind thoughts and your compassion in the last few days since we lost her,' Noel began in the video. 

Holding up a photo of Keira prior to her passing, Noel went on to reveal just how much the terrier meant to himself and his family. 

'We loved her. She was our sister, our daughter, our family member. She's been by my side for 14 years. Through all the ups and downs, ins and outs; she sat on my knee when I was writing lectures or doing reports.

'Whether I was happy or sad. She liked it when I was sad because she would lick my tears. She liked the salt. But most importantly, she was the best friend I could ever want.'   

Breaking down in tears, Noel revealed how Keira made him the best version of himself.

'She gave me hope, she made me the best I could be. She saved me from all of the ups and downs. She knew everything about me and she kept it all to herself,' he managed to say with a laugh. 

Noel explained how he chose to give her 'an extra year of life' after she 'nearly died a year ago' from a 'bad accident' and thanked his colleagues for saving her life. 

She shared the most valuable gift in the entire world with me, unconditional love. That's it. That's all there is, but she also taught me that with great love comes great pain. And that's okay, I wouldn't have had it any other way. No other way,' he said.  

Wiping away tears, Noel described Keira as an 'eternal inspiration' and said her legacy 'lives on in me and all my colleagues'.

Noel concluded by revealing how a tombstone had been arranged for Keira on Friday, and said a few parting words.  

'Your light remains inside me. You're always by my side. Keira, I love you and everybody thank you so much. She remains with us. Her light remains with every single one of us that believes in unconditional love,' he said. 

Noel announced Keira's death in a heartfelt Instagram post on September 10, sharing a sweet photo of the terrier alongside an emotional passage of text.  

'My heart is truly broken. She was my best friend in the whole wide world. My friend Amy and her son Kyle are broken-hearted too since they have shared her guardianship with me all this time,' he wrote. 

'We were so very blessed and lucky to have had her in our lives, lighting the way with her magnificent unconditional love.

'We were especially lucky to have been gifted magical further time with her when she nearly lost her life too soon a year ago.

'I am so thankful for your kind wishes and support at this difficult time and for the incredible love you have shown us.

'I know that she touched many lives with her light. With great love comes great pain, but her love will be inside me forever,' he went on to say.   

Reference: Kristy Johnson For Mailonline