Martin Clunes, 64, has always been a lover of animals, but over the past year, his relationship with his pets has taken on a deeply emotional significance. Despite the heartbreaking losses he’s faced, the actor insists that life with animals has made him not just a better person but a happier one.
The past year has been especially challenging for Martin. His beloved Jack Russell, Jim, who had been a constant companion for over 14 years, passed away from liver cancer in 2024. Their bond had been tested through everything—from filming Doc Martin to early morning lambing sessions at their 135-acre Dorset farm—but Jim’s death was a blow to the whole family.
“I miss him every single day, but I can still smile when I think of him,” Martin shares. “Jim and I went through so much together. He was my right hand.”
When Jim passed, Martin and his wife, Philippa, made sure to say goodbye in a personal and meaningful way. Martin crafted a wooden coffin for Jim and filled it with squeaky tennis balls—an ode to his playful spirit. “We were all here with him. We all went down the garden and we paid our respects,” Martin reflects.
But with grief comes healing, and in the face of loss, the Clunes family brought new life into their home. Just weeks after Jim’s passing, they welcomed two Jack Russell puppies, John and Murray. “We like to dovetail them,” Martin says, adding that Jim’s departure had left a gap in their family dynamic. “The deer were in the garden eating the roses; the squirrels took bark from the trees and the fox took the hen,” he quips with a smile.
Animals have played a central role in Martin’s life since childhood. At the age of eight, after the death of his father, Martin was sent to boarding school. It was there that his love for animals was sparked. “A teacher put me in charge of the menagerie,” Martin recalls. “It was a good call. It kept me grounded at a very tough time in my life.”
Today, his menagerie includes five dogs, six and a half horses (yes, including a miniature Shetland pony), two cats, and a number of sheep and cattle. Despite his busy career and a packed slate of projects, Martin has always found time for his animals—and for the greater good.
For over two decades, he and his animals have brought comfort to patients at two local hospices. “It’s a privilege. I have such admiration for everybody who works there,” he says, recalling a particularly poignant moment when his dog provided comfort to a terminally ill woman on her final day. “She was a lovely lady, and I got such a nice letter from her sister after she passed saying it was the best day she’d had in a long time.”
But it’s not just about bringing comfort to others—Martin truly believes that animals have the power to heal us, especially during times of grief. “When a pet dies, there’s this unique kind of grief. It’s different from losing a human, but it’s no less significant. And having animals around has definitely made me a nicer, less needy person,” he admits.
Through heartbreak and joy, Martin Clunes’ love for animals has only deepened. As he continues to work on his latest projects, his farm remains a sanctuary, a place where life—and love—go on.
