Popular EastEnders dog Terence has died, owners confirm
Terence, a Lhasa Apso dog, arrived in Albert Square back in October 2001 when Billy Mitchell gave the dog to Janine Butcher as a gift for her 18th birthday.
The dog, which is classed as "non-binary" by fans due to it being referred to as both a he and a she while on EastEnders, was usually seen on-screen with Janine and was involved in several key scenes.
Terence was part of the EastEnders cast for eight years, before making their last appearance in December 2009.
The dog proved popular among fans, with users on Reddit group r/EastEnders recently describing Terrence as their "all-time favourite pet" from the BBC soap.
One person commented: "Terence has had so many iconic storylines and side quests during their time on the show, they are just as much a main character as anybody else! Long live Theirence."
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Death of popular EastEnders dog confirmed by owner
One fan, on X (formerly Twitter), contacted Terence's owner recently, asking what the dog had been up to since its time on EastEnders.
Replying, the owners said: "Terence was retired by the writers/producers.
"He worked on a lot of different productions and lived out his retirement as a much loved family pet."
After months of waiting, we finally have news on the fate of Theirence! https://t.co/nvb4QauDpU pic.twitter.com/QeujSyaJMU — andrew (radicalised by conrad clark era) (@floellaumbagabe) June 16, 2025
Terence's owner has now confirmed the popular pooch has in fact died since leaving EastEnders.
Speaking to The Sun, they said: "My dog who played Terence last worked on the show in 2009, though another dog from a different company played the role for a few more episodes.
"Afraid Terence and Wellard, who I also supplied, are unfortunately long gone now. They are never with us long enough.'
Wellard, a Belgian Tervuren dog, was another popular dog on EastEnders.
He was part of the BBC soap from October 1994 to August 2008, making him the longest-serving pet on EastEnders.
EastEnders fans say "RIP to this soap legend"
EastEnders fans have gone into mourning after learning about the passing of Terence.
Posting on the EastEnders Reddit group, on person said: "Sleep well sweet prince, forever our queen."
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Another fan added: "RIP to this soap legend."
A third user posted: "So sad to hear. Doggy goes to heaven."
While this person commented: "I'm so glad they lived such a full life full of love."
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