Wednesday’s Live with Kelly and Mark began on a somber note, as Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa broke the news that their beloved dog, Chewie, died yesterday (Feb. 4).
Consuelos explained that their eldest pup had “stopped eating for a couple days and had been eating less and less for the past few weeks,” in addition to being “extremely dehydrated” and experiencing “some neurological stuff.”
“It’s probably one of the toughest things that we’ve had to do as a married couple,” he shared. “Thank God that we haven’t had any tragedy befall us like that, but she was just a great part of our life. And if it wasn’t for this show, we wouldn’t know Chewie. You adopted her on this show.”
As Consuelos told Live viewers, Chewie grew up with their three kids, Michael, Lola and Joaquin. He highlighted how pets owners would only understand the “loss” and “grief” that they are experiencing.
“But knowing that we did the right thing because it was just going to get really, really bad over the next few days for her. I know you’re taking it hard, so I’ll do the heavy lifting today,” he told Ripa, who broke down on the air.
“I know, I’m really sorry. I thought I got it all out, guys. I really thought I got it all out, and I apologize,” she said. “This is not how I wanted this to go down… God, she gave us so much. We’re filled with gratitude for this dog.”
Amid tears, Ripa highlighted how Chewie “gave [them] so much,” and was her and Consuelos’ “steadfast companion” as each of their children fled the nest.
“We’ve been so lucky. We’re very fortunate people in our lives. We have not had loss in our lives, tremendous loss like this,” she continued. “We still have all of our parents. We’re so fortunate. I feel very bad crying in front of you when people have their much bigger problems in the world, and I understand that. But you have to understand that this dog was so special, and she was such a good girl.”
As the audience issued Ripa a round of applause, Consuelos noted that after “word got around” within their circle about Chewie’s death, “so many people came by” to bid farewell to her.
Ripa added, “It was, dare I say, presidential. People came. People like the mail carrier, people came to say goodbye to Chewie because she was such a beloved member of the community. Not just our dog… She was like the neighborhood dog.”
The two co-hosts noted that Chewie “was very much like a cat” in many ways, petting you instead of the other way around.
“And by petting you, she would wipe her face on you after she ate, just to clean off her face,” Consuelos teased.
Ripa highlighted that Chewie “never let [them] kiss her face.”
“After she passed away last night, I kissed her a thousand times on the face. I kissed her nose. I never kissed her nose before,” she revealed. “I know that she was like, somewhere in dog heaven pissed off. But I didn’t care because it just was like so nice to have that.”
Consuelos praised Ripa as a “great dog mom” who Chewie “adored,” as Ripa cried.
“I promise I will get this out of my system,” she said, as Consuelos promised that they will “get through it” all together.
Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.
