Jennifer Garner experienced a complicated Thanksgiving and expressed her gratitude to her daughter, Violet, for being by her side during this time.
According to PEOPLE, the Yale University student, who was 19 years old at the time, was returning home to Los Angeles from the East Coast for the holiday break, she and her mother, who was 52 years old, bid an unexpected goodbye to their cherished golden retriever, Birdie.
On November 27, she announced that her dog, Birdie, who was nine years old, had passed away. She disclosed that Birdie had stopped eating before her last visit to the veterinarian.
"The vet told us that dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college," Garner wrote in her Instagram tribute to the late pet. "And we believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world's best dog."
The star of "13 Going on 30" was saddened by the unexpected death of the family dog when it was nine years old. However, having Violet, one of Birdie's favorite people, present for the weekend made things considerably easier.
According to Geo, she spent the vacation with her ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck and their three children, Violet, Seraphina, who is 15 years old, and Samuel, who is 12 years old.
"They celebrated Thanksgiving as a family," the insider said. "The kids love having everyone together. Jen hosted dinner at her house."
Additionally, before their celebration at Garner's residence, the former couple and their three children participated in a volunteer activity at the annual Thanksgiving Street Fair held by The Midnight Mission, a homeless shelter in Louisiana.
Affleck, who is 52 years old and a longstanding supporter of the organization, and Garner, who divorced in 2015 after ten years of marriage, looked to be in a happy mood at the charity event. They smiled together for a photo that was posted on The Midnight Mission's Instagram account.
"They truly enjoy giving back to their community and cherishing quality time together as a family," a source previously told PEOPLE of the family's outing.
Garner is currently dating John Miller, CEO of CaliGroup, while Affleck just ended his relationship with Jennifer Lopez.
Social media users promptly expressed their condolences and recounted their own experiences of losing cherished pets.
"Jennifer Garner's post about Birdie made me tear up. Dogs really are family," one fan said.
"The way Birdie waited for Violet... this is why animals are angels on Earth," another wrote.
"Jen and Violet's bond is so beautiful. Wishing them peace during this tough time," a third fan chimed in.
"Garner showing grace even in sadness is why we love her," a fourth netizen said.
"Seeing her and Ben volunteer together despite everything was inspiring," a fifth fan wrote.
"RIP Birdie. The best dogs always leave pawprints on our hearts," another netizen said.
Business Times has reached out to Jennifer Garner for comments.
