Pooches from MK share film fame after appearing in re-make of Murder on the Orient Express

Shih Tzus Mr T and Louigi belong to Cat Dickson and live with their six canine companions at Shenley Church End.

Cat, who is well-known for breeding and showing Shih Tzus under her Shenley Vale kennel name, heard about the film casting through a friend.

“She said an agent was looking for two Shih Tzus for a film, but I didn’t know any more details.”

Cat passed on her number and to her surprise the agent called – and invited her to the bring the dogs to the film studios in Surrey.

“And there was Dame Judi.She took to the dogs straight away and in no time Louigi was sitting on her lap.”

Unbeknown to Cat, Dame Judi was a huge Shih Tzu fan.

“She showed me her own elderly Shih Tzu who goes on location with her,” she said.

Filming took three weeks and Cat spent as much time as she could there with her dogs.

“I may be biased but I think they were amazing. There was one dodgy moment, where Mr T sat on the end of the bed, cocked his leg up and started licking his bottom!”

Cat was bursting with pride when she went to see the finished film at the cinema.

“There was so much footage of my boys. They were real stars,” she said.