Ashley Tisdale.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Ashley Tisdaleis mourning the death of her family’s 17-year-old dog Blondie.
TheHigh School Musicalstar, 36, shared the news of her pup’s passing Wednesday on Instagram, beginning withan emotional poston her page.
“I love you Blondie girl, thanks for bringing such joy to our family,” Tisdale wrote alongside an image of herself cuddling with her late pet. “I will miss you my little rocking horse but I know Maui is with you and that’s comforting. I love you 🕊.”
The actress also paid tribute to Blondie on her Instagram Story with a series of throwback photos, including one of Tisdale holding the dog when the pet was a puppy.
“My first pup who quickly became my dad’s dog because they both loved each other so much,” she wrote atop the image.
Ashley Tisdale/Instagram
“I can only image Mau Mau is running up and giving you a big kiss,” Tisdale wrote. “She’s probably playing and tugging at your ears right now.”
Later on her Story, Tisdale opened up about the emotions impacting her family in the wake of Blondie’s death.
“Today’s been a rough day, for sure,” she began. “It’s always hard losing a pet, and we had so much time with Blondie. Can’t believe she was 17 years old. We’re so grateful for that.”
The hardest part of losing a pet, Tisdale said, “is watching your parents in pain.”
“Because Blondie wasn’t having the best quality of life towards the end, so it’s like you don’t want to see that,” she added. “And I knew it was her time to go, but to see my parents so sad is really, really hard.”
The star then recalled a conversation with her mother, Lisa Tisdale, and niece Mikayla McChesnie after Blondie’s death where she felt “like a mom” to her parent.
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“My mom was saying, ‘That’s why I love talking to Ashley about this, because she’s been through this before with Maui and stuff.'”
“So I’m just happy I can be there for my mom and my dad,” she concluded. “I obviously miss Blondie myself, but Blondie really became my parents’ dog.”
source: people.com