Julianne Hough Mourns the Tragic Deaths of Her Dogs Lexi & Harley With Heartfelt Tribute

Julie Sprankles
Updated

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Anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet knows how devastating it is to say goodbye, and that pain hit one Hollywood household hard this weekend. Julianne Hough is mourning the death of her two dogs Lexi and Harley — on Saturday, the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed her Cavalier King Charles spaniels passed away unexpectedly at the end of September.

Although Hough understandably didn’t reveal the details surrounding her pups’ tragic deaths, she did take to Instagram to pay tribute to their lives. “Pure love is real, it existed through us. My heart expanded and felt the truth of what is possible. I am forever grateful. Thank you for your love,” Hough captioned a series of photos and videos showing the oh-so-sweet canines. She continued, clearly overcome with emotions. “Thank you for being my babies, my daughters. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for teaching me how to be your mother. Thank you for allowing me to give and receive love. Thank you for your kisses. Thank you for your blessings every single minute of every single day. Thank you for your souls. Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for letting me protect you. Thank you for protecting each other.”

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Hough closed her post with a heartfelt goodbye, saying, “Thank you for the timeless memories. Thank you for the magic. Thank you for being the most consistent and constant beings in my life. Thank you for being you. Thank you for being my guardians on this earth and even more so now. I’ve never experienced a love like ours. I miss you. I love you forever. Now you are free.”

At the end of her tribute, Hough shared the birthdates of the pups along with the date of their passing: Sept. 28, 2019. Lexi was 11, and Harley was eight.

She isn’t the only one the pups made an impact on during their lives, though. Hough’s brother, Derek Hough, posted an Instagram tribute as well. “I honestly don’t know what to say except that these two creations brought so many beautiful memories into our families’ lives for the past 11 years,” he captioned a photo of their collars. “Their abrupt end was tragic but their memory will always be remembered with joy love and happiness.”

Hough’s husband Brooks Laich shared a truly gut-wrenching post in honor of Lexi and Harley, too.

View this post on Instagram

It is with the heaviest heart that I share with you the passing of our beloved dogs Lexi and Harley. Their tragic passing has left my wife and I heartbroken. Lexi and Harley were not just pets to us, they were our children, and we loved them as such. They were the purest example to love that I have ever seen. They showed me that true love did exist in the world. The way they loved their mom @juleshough and the way she loved them back was the first time I knew that there was hope for me to have love in my life. And they accepted me into their little family, and helped me become a dad for the first time. The past 2 weeks have been filled with tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. The immense pain we feel by their loss is due to the overwhelming love we had for them. Every single beautiful part of them will be missed, but we trust that they are in a better place now, and can still feel their presence in our hearts. I want to thank the many people who have helped see us through the past 2 weeks. The outpouring of love and support we have received from our family and friends has helped heal our hearts. I am eternally grateful for everyone who has held space for my wife and I to grieve and mourn. There are too many names to list, but you all know who you are, and know that we couldn’t have made it through this without each and everyone of you. In the most sincere way possible, thank you very much. Thank you to @kristysowin, @derekhough, and @camilaforeroo for going above and beyond what we could ever imagine asking of you. There simply are no words to express our gratitude, we love you deeply and are so grateful for you. Thank you to my wife for allowing me to share in their world, and trusting me to be their dad. I wasn’t perfect, but I loved them with every ounce of my heart. And thank you Lexi and Harley, for teaching me grace, softening my heart, and showing me love. You are perfect, and may you Rest In Peace. ??🐶🐼🐺💑??

A post shared by Brooks Laich (@brookslaich) on Oct 12, 2019 at 10:01am PDT

“Their tragic passing has left my wife and I heartbroken,” Laich said. “Lexi and Harley were not just pets to us, they were our children, and we loved them as such. They were the purest example to love that I have ever seen. They showed me that true love did exist in the world. The way they loved their mom @juleshough and the way she loved them back was the first time I knew that there was hope for me to have love in my life. And they accepted me into their little family, and helped me become a dad for the first time.”

Healing vibes go out to the Hough family during this tough time.

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