Jennifer Garner makes heartbreaking announcement in emotional Thanksgiving post

Jennifer Garner has made an emotional announcement on social media ahead of Thanksgiving.

The 13 Going on 30 actor, 52, announced the death of her dog, a golden retriever named Birdie, who she welcomed into her life just after her break up from Ben Affleck in 2015.

Garner admitted she thought it seemed “nuts” to mourn a pet “given the world” but wanted to share Birdie’s passing with her followers and she had always posted about their life online.

“Birdie let us know on Thursday that she wasn’t feeling herself (a renowned foodie, Birdie never missed a meal),” she wrote.

“We were surprised to learn that, not only was she very ill, she was at the end of her life.”

The news came shortly after Garner’s daughter Violet, who she shares with Affleck, returned from college for the Thanksgiving break.

“The vet told us that dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college,” Garner explained.

“We believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world’s best dog.”

Birdie had trained as a therapy dog in order to visit the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Speaking of her pet’s gentle temperament, Garner added: “Birdie loved to read.

“You knew just how to give people what they needed…She lived a happy dog life and is now in the role she was born to play: angel girl. It’s a gift to love and be loved by such a creature as Birdie the Doggie.”

Fans rushed to offer their condolences to Garner in the comments. “Don’t apologize for your grief. Our fur babies are our family,” one person wrote in response to the star’s caption.

“Thank you for sharing Birdie with us. Losing a pet is tough. Sorry for your loss,” another follower added in support. “So hard losing your best friend,” a third person said. “Sending so much strength your way.”

Garner welcomed Birdie when she separated from Affleck in 2015 after ten years together before officially divorcing in 2018.

At the time, many people criticised Affleck after he partially blamed his struggles with alcoholism on his marriage to Garner when speaking on The Howard Stern Show in 2021.

“We had a marriage that didn’t work,” Affleck told Stern. “This happens. It was somebody I love and respect but to whom I shouldn’t be married any longer... what I did was [I] drank a bottle of scotch and fell asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution.”

“Part of why I started drinking alcohol was because I felt trapped,” he added, although Affleck later clarified in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that his behavior was “his responsibility”.

Garner remained offline as the media storm erupted around her split from Affleck. A year later, she told Vanity Fair the Mutant star was the love of her life.

“He’s the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous,” she said. “He’s just a complicated guy. I always say, ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold.

“He can cast quite a shadow.”