Derek Hough's Heartfelt Goodbye to Beloved Dog Romie Sparks Emotional Reactions

Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, are mourning the death of their beloved dog.

“Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him,” Hough, 41, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, October 25. “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 watched me grow up, fall in love, become a husband.”

Hough continued, “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. But thank you, my boy, for choosing us, for carrying me, for giving me so much.”