This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News.
April was a sad month in the realm of pet news, as two celebrities said goodbye to their faithful canine companions. Paris Hilton shared the loss of her long-term canine companion Tinkerbell, who famously accompanied her on the FOX’s The Simple Life and red carpets all over the world. Gigi Hadid's dog Lucky didn’t quite have the prominent media profile of Tinkerbell, but he did appear with Hadid's mom, Yolanda Foster, on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Numerous photos and even a few videos of the good times Hilton had with Tinkerbell appear on her Instagram account. The first and most-touching post of Hilton cuddling with "Tinky" has this caption:
"My heart is broken I am so sad & devastated. After 14 amazing years together my baby Tinkerbell has passed away of old age. I feel like I've lost a member of my family. She was such a special & incredible soul. We went through so much together. I can't believe she's gone. I will miss her & think about her for the rest of my life. I love you Tinky, you are a Legend & will never be forgotten."
Hadid shared a similar message on Instagram about her beloved Shetland sheepdog Lucky, who was part of her life for 11 years, with photos of her at ages 9 and 20 accompanied by Lucky:
"On my 9th birthday an angel came into my life... And on my 20th birthday, that same angel went to a place where he can watch over me a lot better… To an irreplaceable companion, Rest In Peace my angel boy."
Earlier the same day, she posted a photo of Lucky licking her face and well wishes for his health. Neither dog's cause of death has been disclosed yet.
When a pet leaves us, some believe that a portal into the netherworld called the Rainbow Bridge is crossed. RainbowsBridge.com shares a touching poem by an unknown author that some of my clients have read at the time of their pet's passing. For owners enduring the pet-loss process, the site features a Pet Loss Grief Center with links to resources and online forums in which owners can find much-needed help.
The news that these two celebrity pets have passed on should motivate owners of dogs, cats and other species to pursue a wellness examination for their animal companions. I recommend healthy pets have a veterinary physical examination at least once ever year while sick pets and those on medications should be examined as often as recommended by their overseeing veterinarian.
As the majority of my patients are geriatric, have some form of compromise to their mobility, or are clinically sick I see them quite often, sometimes as frequently as a few times per week. I get to know their bodies and day-to-day quality of life very well and can appropriately guide my clients on when it is the right time to say goodbye.
When a canine or feline patient of mine passes away, I give my clients the opportunity to publicly share fond memories and photos on my Pet Memorials webpage.
I'm sending well wishes to Hilton, Hadid and their families. My hope is that if Tinkerbell and Lucky were enduring any suffering as a result of age or illness then their sickness-associated discomfort has been relieved.
Have you recently lost a pet? If so, did you seek help in the mourning process from friends, family, or another resource? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Images via Hilton and Hadid's Instagram accounts. Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond). Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook. Copyright of this article (2015) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.