As the Hollywood couple mourn the loss of their dog who passed away this week, both stars shared emotional tributes that quickly drew love and condolences from fans and celebrities.

Julia Roberts and her husband, Daniel Moder, are grieving the loss of their beloved dog Myrtle, who recently passed away at 19. On May 17, 2025, the actress shared the heartbreaking news with her fans on Instagram, posting a photo of Myrtle sitting peacefully on a picnic blanket. “Our Myrtle. A Legend. 2006–2025 👑,” she captioned the image.

Daniel also honored Myrtle with a post of his own, featuring a close-up of the scruffy terrier’s soulful gaze. “The definition of Fierce Loyalty,” he wrote. “Even if she bit the pizza man once.”

Myrtle, also known affectionately as Myrtle Von Mertzenberger, was part of the Roberts-Moder family for nearly two decades and clearly left a lasting impression on those around her.

Friends and fans quickly flooded the comments with condolences. Jennifer Aniston wrote, “I’m so so sorry ❤️‍🩹 I love you all and always here 🌈🐾.” Rita Wilson added, “I’m so sorry, Julia.” “😢 so sorry…Those of us who have ‘been there’ know the pain.. 🌿🤍🌿,” one fan commented on Daniel’s post. “Aw so sweet. She looks like you! The eyes!” another netizen shared.

More heartfelt messages continued to pour in from friends and admirers. Fashion editor Edward Enninful also offered his condolences, writing that he was deeply sorry for the couple’s loss.

Another commenter shared a sentiment familiar to many pet owners, expressing that dogs never stay with us long enough and wishing Myrtle a peaceful journey — “run free with your wings,” the message read, accompanied by heart and paw print emojis.

Myrtle clearly held a special place in the family’s life — and Julia’s heart for dogs has long been evident. Years ago, her longtime friend and fellow actor Dermot Mulroney recounted a memorable story of the actress rescuing a stray while filming in Oklahoma.

“She had adopted a stray dog,” he said, recalling their trip back to Los Angeles on a private jet. “I told her it was inadvisable. But we fell in love with the mangy beast.”

What the actress didn’t know at the time was that the dog was pregnant. Soon after, she gave birth to four puppies — all of which Julia kept and named Amy, Jo, Meg, and Beth, inspired by the beloved March sisters from “Little Women.”

Back in December 2024, the Hollywood star shared a cheerful post featuring herself and a chocolate lab named Major as part of a campaign supporting Frankie Lola and Friends, a nonprofit rescue organization.

Smiling alongside Major, who wore a bandana that read “We Are Family,” she celebrated the group’s work rehoming pups in need, calling their mission “incredible.”

Just days before announcing Myrtle’s passing, Daniel posted a rare family photo in honor of Mother’s Day. The sunlit shot showed Julia surrounded by their three children, all grown and beaming beside her on a wooden bench.

The image prompted an outpouring of warm comments. “While I agree with Julia that the kids look a lot like you @modermoder, Henry looks JUST like her here!” one person noted. “They are all grown up! Wow, time flies,” wrote another.

Another added, “Kids are so grown up 👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️ Happy Mother’s Day,” while a fourth typed, “Wow, time flies! They are so big now 😍❤️❤️❤️.” Someone else commented, “Beautiful mother and beautiful kids 😍.”

Julia and Daniel are known for keeping their family life private. However, occasionally, they give fans a glimpse of their three children on social media.

At 37, Julia gave birth to Phinnaeus and Hazel, who both entered this world healthy. According to a source, the twins arrived at around 3 a.m. on November 28, 2004, at a Los Angeles hospital. On the other hand, Henry, now 17, was born on June 18, 2007.

While discussing becoming a mother in her late 30s, Julia said her kids chose her to be her steward and shepherd in life when she was ready. Still, the mom of three fears at times that she will mess up as a parent, although she believes her kids came into her life when she was ready.

Therefore, she made sure to enjoy time with them to the fullest when they were young. She once hilariously revealed that Henry thought that when people were talking about the twins in their family, they were referring to him and his siblings instead of just Phinnaeus and Hazel.

Julia not only had fun with her children, she also protected them from the harms of fame. When the kids were younger, they knew that their mom was famous, but never understood the true meaning of it. They would mostly see tabloid headlines when they were in stores, and the actress found such moments uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, tabloid stories that weren’t true would hurt the actress’s feelings, especially when they speculated that her marriage was ending despite being perfectly happy with Daniel and still raising their kids together.

Due to these challenges, the actress and her husband decided to take their kids out of the public eye and moved away from Los Angeles. They have a ranch in New Mexico, but they used to stay in the City of Angels for work.

However, as per a friend, the parents quickly realized they didn’t want their kids to grow up in the show business culture that comes from being so close to Hollywood. Eventually, they moved to San Francisco for their family’s sake. There, Phinnaeus, Hazel, and Henry were not viewed as the children of movie stars.

Additionally, in true protective mom style, the “Ocean’s Eleven” star revealed in 2019 that she has banned her children from using social media to limit their exposure to the pressures of the modern world.

The actress also set boundaries on what they could watch on TV and implemented family meetings. These measures were to ensure her kids were safe from the pressures and resources that can be misused in a globalized world.

What’s more, Julia believed that as a parent, it was her job to keep her kids offline because they didn’t need that while growing up. Aside from protecting her kids, the actress also gave them unconditional love so they could handle any coming challenge. She also helped her kids navigate the issues of today.

When Hazel was going through a hard time and had lost hope, her mom took that opportunity to make her feel that she still had a voice. She took her to her first Women’s March in Washington and showed that she had a place in this world where she could uphold her beliefs.

According to the 57-year-old mother, Hazel is “one of a kind.” When the teen attended the 74th Cannes Film Festival in 2021 with her dad, she opted for a simple look and even shrugged off her mother’s suggestion to wear eyeliner. Hazel was just happy to participate in the event with her father.

However, the young woman has a penchant for her mom’s prized possessions. Julia revealed that her daughter once went through her closet looking for a prom dress, and she tried out the actress’ black and white Valentino gown, which Julia wore when she won an Academy Award in 2001.

Unfortunately, Hazel found the dress to be too big for her, but the actress remembers how stunning her daughter looked in it. Overall, Julia has done a lot to love, protect, and be there for her kids. Still, she says there is no mastering mothering.

She believes the best way to navigate motherhood is to know that you cannot do everything a parent and should not feel ashamed or fearful about asking for help. Still, every new challenge can be difficult.

In 2022, the “Pretty Woman” star admitted that she felt lightheaded when her twins were about to go to college. She was also fascinated and excited for them because she never had that experience.

In terms of looks, Julia often believes her kids look like her, but when her husband comes home from work, and she sees him, it dawns on her that they look most like Daniel, and fans seem to agree.

On November 28, 2021, when the kids turned 17, Daniel, now 55, posted a photo that had his followers talking. “They’re so beautiful,” someone expressed. Another netizen said Hazel “looks like her dad,” and others echoed those sentiments.

A year later, Julia’s twins turned 18, and the actress shared a cute picture with them of when they were just babies. Those diaper-wearing kids will be turning 20 in late 2024!

Meanwhile, Julia Roberts and Daniel have been married for 22 years and are happy in their union. They have chosen how to raise and protect their kids from the burdens of today’s world and their fame. By the looks of their social media, they’ve succeeded in making a joyful family.