Melissa Peterman is receiving an outpouring of love as she mourns a heartbreaking loss.
The Hallmark actress, beloved by fans for her role as Pamela Bevans in the hit “Haul Out the Holly” movie franchise and as the lead judge on the reality competition series “Finding Mr. Christmas,” revealed that she and her family recently said goodbye to their dog, Junior. In an emotional tribute to her sweet “June Bug,” Peterman reflected on the joy he brought into their lives, prompting support from several members of her Hallmark family.
The Peterman Family Says Goodbye to Junior After 15 Years
“We said goodbye to our sweet boy Junior yesterday,” wrote Peterman in the caption of her May 28 Instagram post that featured Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” playing over a collection of photos of Junior over the years. “He was the best dog. He was the smartest dog we ever had.”
She went on about how Junior helped take care of their whole family. She wrote, “He made elaborate plans to steal things from our other less ‘gifted but pretty’ dogs. He took care of Janet when she got old, taught Fern and Elvis how things worked around this house. He loved Riley and went to wake him up for school every morning. He thought John was everything and tried not to show his disappointment too much when it was just me coming home.”
“He always looked a tad guilty, like he was embezzling money from us and maybe he was, he was very smart,” she added.
Peterman concluded, “He loved us so much and was happiest when everyone was home and accounted for. Thanks for 15 years of being the best boy June Bug. We will miss you forever.”
“As Luck Would Have It” star JoAnna Garcia Swisher commented, “Oh Melissa! Love you so much! I’m so so sorry 🌈🐾”
“Oh honey I’m so very sorry. We only get them for a short time but they bend our hearts in so many ways. Thank you for giving Junior a great life filled with Love,” added Cheri Oteri, who was in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, “Christmas in Conway.”
“Haul Out the Halloween” star Kimberly J. Brown also wrote, “So sorry, Melissa! Sending you a big hug.”
“Oh (Melissa), I’m so so sorry. Sending you and your family so much love XOXO,” commented Tracey Bregman, star of “A Very Charming Christmas Town.”
Jonathan Bennett showed support for his “Finding Mr. Christmas” co-star by liking Peterman’s post.
Peterman Has Always Been Outspoken About Her Love for Dogs
“Junior seems offended that National Dog Day isn’t twice a week,” wrote Peterman in her August 26, 2019 Instagram post, featuring a video of Junior and her other dog, Fern. One of the hashtags she included in her caption is, “#dogsarefamily,” expressing the way she feels about her precious fur babies.
“I like to say ‘dogs are my favorite people’ and people who love dogs understand what I mean. They love you unconditionally and every day they wake up excited because TODAY is going to be great. If you want to make your family more fun, there are so many amazing animals out there just waiting to love you. And I promise they will become your favorite people too,” said Peterman, per her celebrity luminary on the official Remember Me Thursday website, which is a global awareness campaign “in honor of the pets who never knew a forever home.”
