Jimmy Fallon Mourns the Loss of His Dog Gary: ‘Thank You for Everything’

Jimmy Fallon, 51, recently took to social media to share a heartfelt tribute for and a carousel of photos of his 13-year-old dog, Gary, who passed away. The Tonight Show host said on Instagram that Gary “was the last name we signed on every birthday card.... She was our first baby, a therapist, a pillow, a big sister, a schoolmarm, a comedian, a party girl and a rebel.” .

It wouldn’t be a proper Fallon send-off if he didn’t add some humor, mentioning that Gary wasn’t a watchdog because “she would have let burglars in and shown them where we kept the bacon and American cheese slices,” and that she was “always smiling even when she slept.”

“She loved a good scratch and would lean into you if she liked you, though ‘if’ is generous — she did this for basically everyone,” Fallon explained.

The former Saturday Night Live cast member said Gary would “jump into the pool immediately after being shampooed and dried (noooooo!),” and “do her laps” in the form of a “doggie paddle” then “lie in the grass on her back doing bunny kicks with her tongue sticking out.” Fallon concluded by saying his family “misses you” and that “the house is so quiet” without Gary’s presence. “The quiet is so loud,” he said. “But that quiet is slowly being filled with stories about you and laughter amongst the sniffles. Thank you for everything. Gosh, we miss you so much. Goodnight, Gary.”

A variety of fans and celebrities offered their condolences to Fallon, including Today show cohost Al Roker, 71, who said, “We lost our fur baby last year, and it still hurts. But what love!”

In the U.S., 86.9 million families, or 66 percent of households, are pet owners, according to a 2023–2024 study by the American Pet Products Association.

“Those losses can be emotionally devastating,” Sarah Bowen told AARP in 2023. Bowen is the author of Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Healing the Planet. “Losing a cat or dog [or other loved pet] can be devastating because of the strength of a human-animal bond,” said Bowen. “Animals are enmeshed in our lives, so when they are absent, the silence in our home is startling.”

A 2021 study on pet bereavement and coping mechanisms published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that pet owners often feel lonely and embarrassed about their grief when a pet dies.

Losing a pet can be particularly heartbreaking for older adults. In a 2023 study, 38 percent of older participants reported a decrease in physical activity, and 47 percent said their emotional health declined after their pet’s death.

AARP offers more details on pets, including how older adults can use an animal chaplain during grieving and whether pets experience grief themselves.