Derek Hough still finds himself looking toward the bushes where Romie used to appear. On October 25, the Dancing With the Stars judge announced that his dog had died at 14 but not before reaching one last milestone: meeting a new little sister.
Hough did not identify the little sister or explain her relationship to him, leaving open whether she is a child or another animal. He also shared no cause, location or exact date of Romie’s death, and provided no veterinary or end-of-life details.
What Hough did describe was the sweep of a life lived alongside one dog. Romie entered his world when it was largely just the two of them and Hough was still searching for direction. The dog remained through difficult stretches and successes, saw Hough fall in love and was there when he became a husband.
Hough credited Romie with giving him purpose when he struggled to find it himself. As the aging dog began to tire, Hough hoped he would remain long enough to meet the new little sister. Romie did.
That history helps explain why the absence can reach beyond missing an animal. After 14 years, a dog can be woven through the structure of ordinary days and major turning points alike. The empty place near the bushes is not simply a reminder of where Romie once stood; it marks a routine that no longer resolves in the familiar way.
Why the loss can feel so disorienting
The University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals’ pet-loss guidance describes grief as a personal experience and recognizes that the human-animal bond can bring comfort, love and a profound sense of connection. When that bond ends, there is no single timetable or correct way to respond.
Research also supports taking that grief seriously. A peer-reviewed study of 496 bereaved companion-animal caregivers found that attachment patterns, continuing bonds and time since loss were related to grief severity. Grief generally became less severe as more time passed, although some people continued to report substantial grief long after the death.
Continuing bonds can take quiet, tangible forms: reminiscing, keeping meaningful possessions or creating a memorial. The study found that these bonds may play an adaptive role for some bereaved people, though its cross-sectional design does not establish that any one practice causes grief to ease.
There is no requirement to memorialize a dog in a particular way. The University of Florida includes self-care, navigating holidays and special occasions, and finding personally meaningful ways to remember an animal among its support resources. The University of Tennessee’s veterinary social work program also offers a community support group where people can remember animals, share varied experiences and learn additional coping approaches.
Those options matter because pet loss can alter more than mood. Bereavement counselors interviewed for a study of companion-animal grief support described clients struggling with the disappearance of daily routines, companionship and a sense of purpose. The effect is individual: what helps one person may not fit another.
If grief remains persistent and begins interfering with everyday functioning, a doctor or mental-health professional can help assess whether additional support is appropriate. Veterinary social workers, pet-loss groups and counselors familiar with companion-animal bereavement may also offer spaces where the relationship itself is understood rather than minimized.
For Hough, Romie’s place stretched across the years in which he found direction, fell in love and became a husband. Now the familiar patch by the bushes is quiet, holding the outline of a companion who stayed long enough for one final introduction.
Have you ever adopted a dog with a story like this? Share it in the comments.
By Jake Patterson — Freelance feature writer and former animal-shelter volunteer focused on rescue, adoption, and second-chance dog stories.
