Gretchen Rossi Mourns the Loss of Her Dog: "We Lost One of Our Family Members"
The RHOC alum had her dog, Vito, for nearly 18 years.
Gretchen Rossi is mourning the loss of her sweet dog, Vito. The Real Housewives of Orange County alum shared the sad news with her followers in the form of a tribute to her pet in a July 27 Instagram post.
“Tonight we lost one of our family members. Our sweet Vito man (as I liked to call him),” Gretchen wrote alongside a black and white photo of herself kissing Vito on the head. “I had Vito for almost two decades. He was going to turn 18 years old in just a few days; these first two pics are my last moments with my baby tonight.”
Gretchen went on to explain the significant role Vito played in her life over the past 18 years.
“This little boy of mine has been with me for almost half of my life, so this loss is very hard on me. He has been with me through some of teh hardest times of my life and some of the most amazing times of my life. He was there with me through my divorce, then when Jeff got sick, all through Housewives, and then the last 11 years with Slade and I, and it was such a blessing to have him around during my pregnancy and for the arrival of Skylar! Sky just loved him so much, and he loved her,” Gretchen shared.
Gretchen wrote about the three dogs she has had, noting that although it was too painful to discuss the losses of her dog, Rocco, she had to honor them now.
“I had three dogs...Rocco and Vito (if you guys remember from the show) and then we rescued Remi. Sadly, my Rocco-Bear passed away two years ago, and it was so painful I could not even talk about it on here,” she wrote. “But today, I decided I was going to share, because these dogs were my first babies and I want to honor who they were in my life and how much they meant to me!”
Gretchen added that she had a particularly special connection with Vtio, due to his “fun and quirky personality.”
“I will miss so many things about him, but especially his big brown eyes, his wagging tail, him gently biting at the back of my ankles to get my attention, and him falling asleep curled up next to my belly,” Gretchen continued. “He was truly one of my best friends and always knew how to make me laugh or feel better! He loved the lake, chasing balls and ducks, going for walks, and playing hide and seek with me.”
A number of Bravolebs reached out to Gretchen to express their support in the comment section, including Kim Zolciak-Biermann who wrote, “I’m so sorry Gretchen for your loss. Sending you a million hugs. Love you.” Dina Manzo added, “So so sorry,” and Marysol Patton wrote, “Sorry mama.”
“Vito, a huge hole has been left in our hearts, but I know I will see you again on the Rainbow bridge, and I’m so glad you get to be reunited with your brother Rocco-Bear there,” Gretchen concluded. “We love you so very much, and will miss you terrible. Rest in Peace my sweet Vito-Man.”
