Rehoming a pet can be a heartbreaking decision, but sometimes it’s in the animal’s best interest, and even the most devoted pet parents have to do what’s right.
Recently, actress and animal activist Kaley Cuoco revealed in an emotional post the reason she rehomed her dog Shirley, who recently passed away.
On November 24, the Big Bang Theory star, 39, announced in an Instagram reel that her former dog Shirley passed away from cancer. In the video, Cuoco revealed for the first time that, while she had Shirley for many years, she had to make the difficult decision to rehome the dog.
“All of a sudden, you kind of stopped seeing her, and I started to get a lot of questions as to where she was, because it’s very unlike me to just stop posting about a dog that I’ve had since she was 6 weeks old,” she told her followers.
She explained that when her fiancé Tom Pelphrey moved in a few years ago, he brought his German Shepherd, Blue, and their two dogs did not get along well. “Unfortunately, Blue and Shirley started getting into some mega fights,” Cuoco explained, saying that Shirley was “determined to kill” Blue.
The actress said that while Shirley got along great with humans as well as her other dog Norman, she was prone to getting into aggressive fights with other dogs, which “really scared” Cuoco, especially since she has many other pets in her household.
Cuoco said she ultimately had to make the difficult decision of rehoming Shirley. “I loved her so much, but I was really scared,” Cuoco said. “I didn’t want something really bad to happen or possibly a person accidentally be there and get hurt.”
While Cuoco said it was an “excruciating decision,” Shirley soon found a loving new home with her pet handler Tony and his wife Angie. The couple took Shirley in for a few months, but their farm became a her permanent home. “They have loved her so so much,” Cuoco said.
Everything worked out: Shirley she had a great life in her new home, and Cuoco kept in touch with her dog over the years. But sadly, Shirley recently passed away, after being diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer. “She was almost 14 years old, which is an unbelievable life for a dog… I’m devastated she has gone over the rainbow bridge,” an emotional Cuoco explained.
The Flight Attendant star said she wanted to share her story in memory of Shirley. She said that she had been afraid to reveal the news, fearing she would be judged for her decision, but decided to be honest to shed light on this sensitive topic and let pet owners who have gone through similar situations that they’re not alone.
Kaley Cuoco is one of the most dedicated celebrity animal advocates: she has opened her home to rescue dogs of all kinds, and no one can accuse her of being an irresponsible pet owner. While some people surrender their pets for arbitrary reasons, sometimes it’s impossible to keep a pet in your home and rehoming them is simply the right thing to do.
Cuoco concluded her video paying tribute to her “amazing” late dog Shirley, and thanking Tony and Angie for everything they did to give her a great new start.
Cuoco has had many pets over the years. In addition to her many rescue dogs, her ranch is also filled with animals like sheep, goats, cows, pigs, ponies, horses, chickens. “I’m not allowed to say how many I have, because I am afraid they will come knocking, saying that it’s an illegal amount,” she joked to Variety in 2021.
In addition, she has used her fame as an actress to advocate for animal rights, speaking out against pet abandonment, Canadian seal hunting and horse abuse. She is a member of the Humane Society of the United States and promoted the dog rescue Paw Works.
Blue, Tom Pelphrey’s dog who was the target of Shirley’s fights, died in March. In June, Cuoco announced they had adopted their “newest pack member,” a rescued Cane Corso mix named Dahlia, or Dolly for short. “We hit the jackpot,” Cuoco said in her announcement.
Kaley’s story highlights the tough decisions pet owners sometimes face out of love and responsibility. Share this story to honor Shirley’s incredible life and support responsible pet rehoming ❤️
