Jenna Ushkowitz Mourns the Death of Her Dog Bear: 'Thank You for Filling Our Lives with Pure Joy'
The 'Glee' actress' French bulldog Bear, who was often featured on her Instagram page, was part of her 2021 wedding party
Michael Tullberg/Getty; Jenna Ushkowitz/ Instagram
Jenna Ushkowitz (left) shared a black and white photo with her dog Bear (right)Glee actress Jenna Ushkowitz has updated fans with some heartbreaking news — her beloved French bulldog Bear has died at the age of 9.
"I cannot believe I’m writing this. Goodbye, my sweet Bear. ❤️," she began in her Instagram post to her nearly 1 million followers.
"I am truly, deeply grateful for the love and companionship you have given me in the past 9 years. Thank you for filling our lives with pure joy, I hope we did the same for you," she continued.
The podcaster, who hosts the iHeartRadio Glee recap podcast And That's What You REALLY Missed alongside her best friend and former Glee co-star Kevin McHale, recalled the "pivotal moments" her adorable canine had shared with her. That list includes several cross-country moves and being in her wedding party when she married David Stanley in July 2021.
"You were there for so many pivotal moments from moving to NYC, moving back to LA to meet David, being in our wedding and being the only one to get ready with me, and getting roars of cheers walking down the aisle," she recalled in the tribute to her treasured canine.
Ushkowitz, who shares daughter Emma, 15 months with Stanley, noted that her child's "favorite word" is "Beah Beah."
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"You got me here and you’re leaving me in great hands," she added, referring to her new family.
While Ushkowitz has yet to disclose what caused Bear's death aside from suggesting that it was age-related, she hoped he was no longer in pain. "You have fought through so many health issues and I hope you’re free now, resting easy and pain free now, my sweet boy. I hope I gave you peace," she wrote. "You will always, always, always be with me."
She signed off her message, "We love you more than anything, Bear Bear. ❤️🪽 1/16/14-9/21/23."
Related: Glee Star Jenna Ushkowitz Is Engaged to Boyfriend David Stanley: 'A Million Times Yes'
Bear was regularly featured on Ushkowitz's social media over the years, even receiving his own special shoutout on National Dog Day on Aug. 26. Recently, he has been dealing with several health issues, which Ushkowitz had been keeping her fans up to date about.
A week before his death, Ushkowitz shared a photo of her holding Bear around his chest and giving him a kiss. "Mr 🐻 isn’t feeling well. Please send your healing energy his way ✨ ❤️," she said.
After Ushkowitz wrote the post dedicated to Bear, she shared several more heartbreaking photos on her Instagram Story. These included photos of Bear enjoying a beach walk with emojis of angel wings attached to his back, and another of his paw nestled in Ushkowitz's hand along with the caption "Forever ❤️ bonded."
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