No matter who you are, saying goodbye to a pet is one of the hardest things in the world. It’s even worse when they pass away during the holidays.
Last week, actress Jennifer Garner announced that her pet retriever Birdie died just before Thanksgiving. She paid tribute to her late pet in a sweet social media post, remembering Birdie as an “angel girl.”
On November 27, the 13 Going on 30 star shared on Instagram that Birdie, a retriever well known to fans though Garner’s social media, had recently fallen ill: she noticed something was wrong when Birdie, a “renowned foodie” who never missed meals, suddenly stopped eating.
They soon received a heartbreaking diagnosis: “We were surprised to learn that, not only was she very ill, she was at the end of her life,” Garner wrote.
The actress said that Birdie seemed ready to pass on after her 19-year-old daughter Violet returned home from Yale for the holiday. “The vet told us that dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college and we believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world’s best dog,” Garner wrote.
After Birdie passed on, Garner remembered her as a dog who “loved to be read to” and “knew just how to give people what they needed.”
“She lived a happy dog life and is now in the role she was born to play: angel girl. It’s a gift to love and be loved by such a creature as Birdie the Doggie.”
The post has received over 40,000 comments, with many expressing their condolences, including fellow celebrities like Kristin Chenoweth, Lily Collins, Ina Garten, Rachel Zegler and Jennifer Aniston.
It’s always heartbreaking to lose a pet during the holidays, but a source told People that Garner still had a “nice Thanksgiving” with ex Ben Affleck and their three children, Violet, Seraphina and Samuel: “They celebrated Thanksgiving as a family,” the insider said. “The kids love having everyone together. Jen hosted dinner at her house.”
According to CelebrityPets, Garner is also the owner of a giant Himalayan mix breed cat named Moose. She also has several chickens in her yard with punny celebrity names, like Jimmy Fowlon and Kelly Cluckson. She was gifted a dog named Martha Stewart in 2004, who has since passed away.
Rest in peace to sweet dog Birdie — we know she meant so much to Jennifer Garner and her family, and she will be missed 😢💔
Please share this story in memory of Birdie.
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