We Americans seem to have a unique relationship with our four-legged canine pals. From the days of the wide open frontier to the picket fence, dogs have been a part of our culture from the very beginning.
So – it’s sad, but not surprising that Kelly Ripa could not help but break down in tears on live TV on Tuesday as she and her husband Mark Consuelos revealed that their beloved dog Chewie has died at the age of 17.
Folks, this furry little friend was adorable, and by all accounts, a Good Girl.
Ripa And Consuelos Say Goodbye To Chewie
Ripa, 54, and Consuelos, 53, revealed this on Live with Kelly and Mark.
“We had a rough day yesterday. We had to say goodbye to Chewie yesterday,” Consuelos began. He went on to explain that they had a vet come to their New York City apartment for in-home humane euthanasia.
At her advanced age, Chewie was having a rough go of it towards the end.
“Chewie had stopped eating for a couple of days and had been eating less and less for the past few weeks. She was extremely dehydrated and had some neurological stuff going down,” Consuelos continued. “And you think, ‘Okay, I’m doing the right thing, this is going to be not easy but…’ It’s probably one of the toughest things we’ve had to do as a married couple.”
“I know pet owners at home can understand this,” he added. “It takes a pet owner to understand this kind of loss. It’s grief. It really is grief. But knowing that we did the right thing because it was just going to be really, really, really bad over the next few days for her.”
Ripa and Consuelos got Chewie after she met the dog on an adoption segment of her television show, giving her a life of luxury few pups know, but all surely deserve.
“If it wasn’t for this show, we wouldn’t know Chewie,” Consuelos admitted. “She grew up with our kids.”
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Ripa Mourns Chewie
Ripa could be seen wiping away tears before burying her head in her husband’s hands.
“I know you’re taking it hard, so I’ll do the heavy lifting,” Consuelos told her.
“I’m really sorry,” Ripa told her loyal audience. “I thought I got it all out, guys. I really thought I got it all out and I apologize because this is not how I wanted this to go down.”
After composing herself, Ripa opened up about her favorite memories with Chewie.
“She gave us so much,” Ripa said. “We’re filled with gratitude for this dog. … As each one of our kids left for college and moved out on our own, Chewie remained right there. Our steadfast companion.”
“We’ve been so lucky,” she gushed. “We’re very fortunate people in our lives; we’ve not had loss in our lives, a tremendous loss like this. We still have all of our parents. We’re so fortunate. I feel very bad crying in front of you when people have — there are much bigger problems in the world, and I understand that. But you have to understand that this dog was so special, and she was such a great girl.”
Thankfully, Ripa and Consuelos have been receiving support from friends in the wake of this devastating loss.
“It was, dare I say, presidential,” Ripa joked. “People came people like the mail carrier. People came to say goodbye to Chewie because she was such a beloved member of the community. Not just our dog, she was like the neighborhood dog.”
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Ripa’s Final Act Of Love For Chewie
Ripa concluded by revealing what she did immediately after Chewie died.
“She never let us kiss her face, she was very precious about her face. She was not that dog,” Ripa recalled. “And after she passed away last night, I kissed her 1,000 times on her face. I kissed her nose, I’d never kissed her nose before.”
“I know that she was like somewhere in dog heaven, pissed off,” Ripa confessed. “But I didn’t care because it just was so nice to have that.”
Consuelos ended the segment by assuring his wife, “You were a great dog mom, she adored you.”
Chewie was one of two dogs in the Ripa/Consuelos household. They are also dog parents to Lena, a Maltese/Shih Tzu mix that they adopted in 2020.
Losing a dog is an incredibly difficult experience. Please join us in saying a prayer for Ripa, Consuelos, and their three children as they mourn Chewie!
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