Jennifer Garner shared the heartbreaking news of her beloved golden retriever Birdie’s passing in an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday.
The actress, 52, who welcomed Birdie into her life shortly after her 2015 split from Ben Affleck, paid a touching tribute to her cherished companion, who had been by her side for nearly a decade.
Alongside a series of beautiful photos of Birdie, Jennifer wrote, "It is hard to know how to write this—it seems nuts, given the world, to mourn a pet, but since we have shared Birdie with all of you, it only seems fair to let you know of her passing."
She explained that Birdie, who was nine, began showing signs of illness last Thursday. "Birdie let us know on Thursday that she wasn’t feeling herself (a renowned foodie, Birdie never missed a meal). We were surprised to learn that, not only was she very ill, she was at the end of her life."
Jennifer revealed that her family was touched by the vet’s observation that dogs often wait for their loved ones to come home before saying goodbye."
© YoutubeThe 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," she shared.
Birdie had been a constant source of love and comfort for Jennifer and her children, Violet, 18, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11. "Birdie loved to be read to, always found her way into a Pretend Cooking Show, and knew just how to give people what they needed (as evidenced by her happy days as a dog therapy team with Mo)," Jennifer wrote, referencing Birdie’s work as a certified therapy dog.
© InstagramShe added, "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."
Birdie’s passing has left a noticeable void in Jennifer’s life, as the dog had often made appearances on the actress’s Instagram, winning fans over with her sweet demeanor and impressive tricks.
© InstagramIn one particularly memorable post from June, Jennifer shared a video of Birdie participating in the popular "Hands In" social media challenge. Much like a team huddling before a big game, Jennifer and an offscreen friend reached out their hands, inviting Birdie to join. The golden retriever immediately placed her paw in the center on the first try, earning laughter and praise from Jennifer.
"Did you see, Birdie? Yeah, you did," Jennifer said in the clip, beaming with pride. She shared the video with her 16.2 million followers, captioning it with humor, "I had much less success with the puppy." Fans flooded the comments with love for Birdie, with one writing, "She’s like… Come on… I’ve been waiting." Another joked, "My dog did it a bunch of times but when we started recording, she refused."
Beyond her social media stardom, Birdie was also a trained therapy dog who regularly visited the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, spreading comfort and joy to young patients. Her presence extended beyond Jennifer’s family, as Birdie was frequently spotted accompanying them on walks, even joining Ben Affleck and his then-girlfriend Ana de Armas on family outings during the pandemic.
Despite the immense sadness of losing Birdie, Jennifer managed to step out in Los Angeles on Wednesday, showing her trademark resilience. Dressed casually in faded blue jeans and gray clogs, she was spotted with wet hair and her signature black-rimmed glasses, smiling faintly as she went about her day.
