In a heartfelt and emotional moment, Kelly Ripa couldn't hold back the tears as she and her husband, Mark Consuelos, announced the passing of their cherished dog Chewie on "Live With Kelly and Ryan." The couple shared the heartbreaking news with the audience, allowing viewers to witness the raw emotions of losing a beloved family member.
Mark Shares the Difficult Decision to Say Goodbye
Mark, who’s no stranger to sharing personal moments on the show, opened up about the tough decision they had to make. "We had a rough day yesterday," the 53-year-old actor said during the Wednesday, February 5, episode. "We had to say goodbye to Chewie yesterday." He explained that they made the compassionate choice to have a veterinarian come to their New York City apartment to perform humane euthanasia on their loyal companion.
Chewie's Declining Health
Mark went on to explain the heartbreaking circumstances that led to their difficult decision. "Chewie had stopped eating for a couple of days and had been eating less and less for the past few weeks," he revealed. "She was extremely dehydrated and had some neurological issues." Despite knowing it was the right choice, Mark admitted, "It’s probably one of the toughest things we’ve had to do as a married couple. You think, 'OK, I’m doing the right thing,' but it’s not easy. It’s truly grief."
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Pet Owners Understand the Loss
Addressing the audience, Mark continued, "I know pet owners at home can understand this. It takes a pet owner to truly grasp the depth of this kind of loss. It’s real grief, and we felt it deeply. We knew we were making the right decision because things were going to get much worse for her over the next few days." His words resonated with pet owners everywhere who have faced similar heart-wrenching situations.
Mark also shared how Chewie came into their lives. "We adopted Chewie after an adoption segment on 'Live' many years ago," he reminisced. "If it wasn’t for this show, we wouldn’t have met Chewie. She grew up with our kids, becoming an integral part of our family."
Kelly's Emotional Reaction
Kelly became visibly emotional as Mark recounted their memories of Chewie. Wiping away tears, Mark comforted his wife, telling her, "I’ll do the heavy lifting because I can see you’re taking this hard." Kelly, overwhelmed with emotion, apologized to the audience. "I thought I had already processed it all, but here I am," she said through tears. "God, she gave us so much."
"We’re filled with gratitude for this dog," Kelly added, her voice trembling. "She gave us so much. As each one of our kids left for college and then moved out on their own, Chewie remained a steadfast companion." Reflecting on their good fortune, Kelly noted, "We’ve been lucky not to have experienced tremendous loss in our lives. We still have all of our parents. We’re so fortunate. But this dog was special, and she was such a great girl."
A Farewell Procession for Chewie
Kelly and Mark described the farewell procession they organized for Chewie at their home. "It was, dare I say, presidential," Kelly joked. "People came from all over, even the mail carrier, to say goodbye to Chewie because she wasn’t just our dog—she was the neighborhood dog. Everyone loved her."
