'Today' Fans Are Heartbroken as Al Roker Announces Devasting Personal News
Al Roker is mourning the loss of an important family member in his life.
On June 11, the Today show host went on Instagram to announce the death of his beloved dog, Pepper, at the age of 12. To honor Pepper, he posted a video montage of the sweet pet with him, his wife, Deborah Roberts, and their children, Courtney, Leila and Nick. For the caption, Al reminisced about memories the family had with Pepper, and how significant she was to their family.
"Twelve years ago, this sweet little girl named Pepper changed our lives," he wrote. "Yesterday, we had to say goodbye. While our hearts are heavy, they are also fuller because of all the love she bestowed on everyone who got to meet her."
When fans learned about Al's loss, they immediately went to the comments to send their condolences.
"Oh no! I am so sad to hear this! I know Pepper will be missed. Pets are such a big part of a family," one person wrote. "omg I'm sorry Al — it's the worst feeling in the world. May the memories outweigh the sorrow. Sending you, Deb and the kids a big hug ❤️," another consoled. "😢So sorry for you all.. It is so hard losing a pet 🐶," a different follower added.
According to Today.com, Al and Deborah adopted Pepper in 2012 from a Pennsylvania rescue facility. She frequently made appearances on both of the couple's social media accounts, and fans remember her sitting on his lap while he did the forecast from home at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
While the news of Pepper's death is shocking, Al documented the last weeks of her life online after sharing she underwent surgery after a health scare in early May. Posting a photo of her on Instagram, he shared how important she was to him even then.
"Our little girl, Pepper had emergency surgery but is on the mend," he captioned the image at the time. She’s getting great care and is coming home tomorrow. Woof. You can sleep on our bed as much as you want."
Our hearts are with the Roker family.
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