Kelly Ripa's Family’s Hearts Are ‘Filled with the Memories of Joy’ Chewie Gave Them 2 Weeks After Beloved Dog’s Death

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo of Kelly Ripa and Chewie.Photo:LIVE with Kelly and Mark/Instagram

LIVE with Kelly and Mark/Instagram

Kelly Ripa’s memories of her late dog Chewie will never go away.

Two weeks after she and husbandMark Consuelos’Shih Tzu died at the age of 17, Ripa, 54, is sharing new videos and photos of the beloved dog’s life.

Ripa said that sharing the sweetInstagram Reelon Wednesday, Feb. 19, full of memories of the pet, was something she avoided at first “because it somehow makes it real, and I’m not quite ready to let go.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

TheLive with Kelly and Markco-host said Chewie’s Feb. 4 death, which occurred after herhealth began deteriorating, has been “extremely painful” forher family. Ripa and Consuelos share sonsMichael, 27,Joaquin, 21, and daughterLola, 23.

“We still look for her and call to her and frankly feel lost. We are so grateful for the almost 18 years we had with this special lady,” said Ripa.

The mom of three recalled Chewie being a “stoic constant companion” for her and Consuelos as they raised their three kids and “when each left the nest.”

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' dog Chewie.kelly ripa/instagram

kelly ripa/instagram

“Our hearts may be broken, but are filled with the memories of joy Chewie gave us,” she said.

Ripa and Consuelos got Chewie afterRipa met her during an adoption segment onLive. In March 2021,the couple also adopted a Maltese/ Shih Tzu mix named Lena.

While announcing Chewie’s death on the Wednesday, Feb. 5, episode ofLive, Consuelos, 53, said they had to put Chewie down becausethe last few weeks of her life had not been easy.

“Chewie had stopped eating for a couple of days and had been eating less and less for the past few weeks. She was extremely dehydrated and had some neurological stuff going down,” he said.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“And 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,” Consuelos added.

source: people.com