Kelly Ripa became visibly emotional during Wednesday’s (February 5) episode of Live with Kelly and Mark as she and her husband, Mark Consuelos, shared heartbreaking news.
The couple announced that they had to say goodbye to their beloved 17-year-old Shih Tzu, Chewie, who had been a cherished member of their family for years.
A Heartbreaking Goodbye
Ripa, 54, and Consuelos, 52, took a moment during their morning show to open up about the difficult loss.
Consuelos, who did most of the talking while his wife wiped away tears,
shared the devastating details of Chewie’s declining health and the painful decision to put her down at their home in New York City.
“We had a rough day yesterday. We had to say goodbye to Chewie,” he revealed. “She had stopped eating for a couple of days and had been eating less and less over the past few weeks. She was extremely dehydrated and had some neurological stuff going down.”
Consuelos admitted that, despite knowing euthanasia was the best option to prevent further suffering, it was one of the hardest moments they had experienced as a couple.
“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,” he said.
Kelly Ripa’s Emotional Tribute to Chewie
As Consuelos spoke about their loss, Ripa, overcome with emotion, buried her face in her hands. Her husband stepped in to console her, acknowledging that she was struggling to process the grief.
“I knew she was taking it hard, so I was okay with doing the heavy lifting,” Consuelos said, as Ripa wiped away tears.
Ripa then apologized to the audience for her emotional reaction, explaining that she thought she had already processed her grief before going on air.
“I really 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,” she said.
Despite her grief, she expressed gratitude for the 17 years she and her family shared with Chewie, calling the dog “so special” and “such a great girl.”
“I feel very bad crying in front of you when people have, there are much bigger problems in the world, and I understand that,” she admitted. “But you have to understand that this dog was so special, and she was such a great girl.”
Chewie’s Special Connection to Live
Ripa and Consuelos had an especially unique bond with Chewie because they first met her during an adoption segment on Live in 2020.
“If it wasn’t for Live, we wouldn’t know Chewie,” Consuelos said, reflecting on how their journey with the dog began.
A Final Goodbye
During the segment, Ripa shared a touching tribute to Chewie, revealing how she said her final goodbye.
“She never let us kiss her face, she was very precious about her face. She was not that dog,” Ripa explained.
But after Chewie passed away, Ripa made up for all the missed kisses.
“I kissed her 1,000 times on her face. I kissed her nose—I’d never kissed her nose before,” she shared.
She also joked about how Chewie would have reacted, adding, “I know that she was like somewhere in dog heaven, pissed off. But I didn’t care because it just was so nice to have that.”
Remembering a Beloved Companion
Ripa and Consuelos are no strangers to being dog lovers. In addition to Chewie, they also have a four-year-old dog named Lena, who remains a beloved part of their household.
For Ripa, losing Chewie is a reminder of just how deeply pets become part of our families. Though their time together has ended, the memories of their 17 years with Chewie will always remain in their hearts.
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