Derek Hough pens emotional message after losing beloved family member

Derek Hough is going through a devastating personal loss.

Over the weekend, the Dancing with the Stars judge revealed he had lost a beloved family member after 14 years of love, loyalty and companionship.

On Sunday, October 25, he revealed in an Instagram post that his beloved dog, Romie, had passed away.

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Taking to his official social media account, the professional dancer paid tribute to his four-legged companion, writing, “Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him.”

“And for a long time, he was my constant. He saw me at my worst and at my best. He loved me through it all and somehow gave me purpose when I couldn’t find it myself,” he continued. “He watched me grow up, fall in love, become a husband. And when he started to get tired, I asked him to hold on so he could meet his little sister, and he kept his promise. He held on.”

“Waking up without him feels unreal. I keep looking at that spot where he’d usually come around the bushes, waiting, hoping. It’s strange to know he won’t come around that bend again,” the emotional message captured the difficulty of adjusting to a new reality without Romie.

Despite the heartbreak, Hough expressed profound gratitude for the years they shared, thanking Romie for choosing their family and giving him so much love.

“But thank you, my boy, for choosing us, for carrying me, for giving me so much,” he went on to write. “There’s an ache that feels unbearable. But it’s also proof that love lived here fully. And you always will.

The 41-year-old choreographer ended the tribute with a tender farewell, “Goodbye for now my sweet sweet Romie Boy [broken heart and dog emoji].”

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