Kate Ferdinand has been left devastated after the death of her beloved pet chihuahua, Ronnie. The tiny pooch had been a constant companion since her time on The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), and was renamed Ronnie Ferdinand after she married former footballer Rio Ferdinand.
Heartbreaking Tribute
The 'heartbroken' mother and stepmother shared a montage of cherished moments with her pet, along with photos of her family with the adorable dog. She captioned the post: "Heartbroken. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love my baby Rons. So so sad."
Ronnie's Journey from TOWIE to Ferdinand Family
Kate originally got Ronnie in 2015 when she was dating her then-boyfriend and co-star Dan Edgar. The chihuahua even made several cameo appearances on the reality show. During their tumultuous relationship, Dan even bought a teddy bear with his dog's face on it, joking that "if it all goes t***s up he's going to remember me."
After Kate married Rio Ferdinand in a star-studded wedding in Turkey, she announced a name change for her pup. Celebrating his fourth birthday, she revealed his last name was now Ferdinand, ensuring he fit in with the family.
Health Concerns Before Move to Dubai
Following the family's relocation to Dubai last year, Kate had expressed concerns about Ronnie's health. The 34-year-old, who moved with her children and husband Rio, revealed that Ronnie had been diagnosed with heart failure. She shared a photo of Ronnie, explaining: "I don't think I've told you all but Ronnie has been in heart failure for a while now, so moving was a big worry for us as I wasn't sure if he would be able to deal with the stress."
She added: "He's been settling really well but walks are limited because of the heat so this morning we went to an indoor play park and he absolutely loved it."
A New Chapter
Confirming the big move, the former TOWIE star said: "A new chapter, a fresh start - because if we don't try, we'll never know. Ahhh! We've talked about this for so long, and now it's finally real… we're here, we are making a new home in the place we met!"
The family previously lived in Bromley, where Rio worked as a pundit for TNT Sports. They now reside in the exclusive gated community of Al Barari in Dubai with their children: son Cree (4) and daughter Shae (2). The couple also share Rio's three children from his first marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who died from breast cancer in 2015: Lorenz (19), Tate (17), and Tia (14).
