Jimmy Fallon and his family are in mourning following the death of their beloved dog, Gary.
On Monday, Fallon shared the news that Gary, an English cream Golden Retriever, had passed away after 13-plus years with his family.
In a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, Fallon called the adored pooch “our first baby.”
“She was the last name we signed on every birthday card,” Fallon began. “She was our first baby, a therapist, a pillow, a big sister, a schoolmarm, a comedian, a party girl and a rebel. Definitely not a watchdog—she would have let burglars in and shown them where we kept the bacon and American cheese slices.”
The post contained several pictures of Gary from throughout the years, including as a puppy.
The Tonight Show host added that Gary was “always smiling, even when she slept.”
“She loved a good scratch and would lean into you if she liked you, though ‘if’ is generous—she did this for basically everyone,” he wrote. “She would jump into the pool immediately after being shampooed and dried (noooooo!) then she’d do her laps (backstroke – jk doggie paddle) then lie in the grass on her back doing bunny kicks with her tongue sticking out. That meant summer to me. 13 and a half years we were lucky to have with you.”
Fallon concluded by saying he, his wife Nancy Juvonen and their daughters Franny and Winnie, all miss Gary, who had appeared alongside her father on TV multiple times over the years.
“Franny, Winnie, Mommy and I miss you. The house misses you.
The house is so quiet. The quiet is so loud. But that quiet is slowly being filled with stories about you and laughter amongst the sniffles. Thank you for everything. Gosh, we miss you so much. Goodnight, Gary,” Fallon said.
‘Unconditional love’
Fallon had spoken in the past about the type of bond he had with his dog, whose “pundit name” during her appearances on the Tonight Show was Gary Frick Jr.
“It’s companionship,” Fallon said in 2017. “It’s so much love. It’s unconditional love. I try to do everything with my dog.”
Our condolences to the Fallons.
