Yahoo Finance Ashley Tisdale Mourns the Death of Her Family's 17-Year-Old Dog: 'I Love You Blondie Girl'
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale is mourning the death of her family's 17-year-old dog Blondie.
The High School Musical star, 36, shared the news of her pup's passing Wednesday on Instagram, beginning with an emotional post on her page.
"I love you Blondie girl, thanks for bringing such joy to our family," Tisdale wrote alongside an image of herself cuddling with her late pet. "I will miss you my little rocking horse but I know Maui is with you and that's comforting. I love you 🕊."
The actress also paid tribute to Blondie on her Instagram Story with a series of throwback photos, including one of Tisdale holding the dog when the pet was a puppy.
"My first pup who quickly became my dad's dog because they both loved each other so much," she wrote atop the image.
Ashley Tisdale/Instagram
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On another slide, the actress and her father, Mike Tisdale, are seen walking side-by-side with Blondie and Maui, the family's other late dog.
"I can only image Mau Mau is running up and giving you a big kiss," Tisdale wrote. "She's probably playing and tugging at your ears right now."
Later on her Story, Tisdale opened up about the emotions impacting her family in the wake of Blondie's death.
Ashley Tisdale/Instagram
"Today's been a rough day, for sure," she began. "It's always hard losing a pet, and we had so much time with Blondie. Can't believe she was 17 years old. We're so grateful for that."
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The hardest part of losing a pet, Tisdale said, "is watching your parents in pain."
"Because Blondie wasn't having the best quality of life towards the end, so it's like you don't want to see that," she added. "And I knew it was her time to go, but to see my parents so sad is really, really hard."
The star then recalled a conversation with her mother, Lisa Tisdale, and niece Mikayla McChesnie after Blondie's death where she felt "like a mom" to her parent.
Ashley Tisdale/Instagram
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"My mom was saying, 'That's why I love talking to Ashley about this, because she's been through this before with Maui and stuff.'"
"So I'm just happy I can be there for my mom and my dad," she concluded. "I obviously miss Blondie myself, but Blondie really became my parents' dog."
Regarding grief, Tisdale said, "it's always hard. There's no right or wrong way to do it. It's important to be surrounded by people you love and who love you."
