Lisa Vanderpump Mourns Death of Her Dog Giggy
Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd are "devastated" following the death of their dog Giggy.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 60, announced the sad news on Instagram that their Pomeranian, who also charmed the hearts of Vanderpump Rules viewers, died on Saturday morning.
"We are devastated to say that our beloved Giggy has passed away this morning. He was truly loved, and we know how many of you loved him too," Vanderpump wrote alongside a series of adorable photos of the pooch.
The Bravo star shared that Giggy played a pivotal role in why she and Todd wanted to start their Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2016.
"Our sweet Gigolo was such an incredible, unique dog, but mainly, because of him, we started The Vanderpump Dog Foundation and embarked on our mission to save as many dogs as possible," she continued. "He inspired us to start our work in rescue, and for that we will always be grateful."
"Giggy's legacy will live on, through every dog @vanderpumpdogs saves. Thank you all for your support. Rest In Peace Giggy, we love you," she concluded the post.
Speaking to BravoTV.com in March 2019 about her sweet dog, Vanderpump said Giggy — who also had alopecia — was about 9½ years old at the time and had gone through a "real hiccup" the previous year.
"Giggy actually had a real hiccup last February — and February through about August, where he was being monitored very closely. He spent a lot of [time] in the hospital, which was very difficult for us because he hated being left behind," she shared. "But he was kind of in an incubator. He was on a heart monitor. We actually have a pacemaker waiting for him — a tiny, tiny little pacemaker, if he does need it."
Vanderpump added, "He's still a young little Gigolo, but we've just got to be careful with his little heart. We worship him. I mean, Ken's even more obsessed than I am."
On Saturday, Andy Cohen also mourned Giggy's death with several tributes on Instagram Story. "Giggy was the first dog of Bravo," he wrote along with a throwback photo of Vanderpump and Giggy.
"My parents loved him too! Everybody loved him!" Cohen wrote in a separate post.
Vanderpump's daughter, Pandora, told PEOPLE in January 2018 that Giggy had become ill while the family was on vacation in Aspen, Colorado.
"Giggy, as many dogs are, was affected by the altitude," she said. "Unbeknownst to us, he had a slight chest infection which exacerbated his symptoms."
Pandora added, "After this experience, we have a better understanding of how altitude can affect dogs health and want to make people more aware of this."
Giggy was flown back home to Beverly Hills in an oxygen tank, with a photo shared by Vanderpump.
In 2017, Vanderpump lost two other members of her four-legged family: Pomeranians Pikachu and Pink Dog.
She honored both with Instagram tributes, writing about Pikachu, "Rest in peace my sweet Pikachu, we will miss you so much… Such sadness at your loss," adding a crying emoji.
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