Neil Patrick Harris speaks onstage during a panel at Hartbeat's "Group Therapy" Premiere at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center at Tribeca Film Festival on June 06, 2024 in New York City.
(Photo Credit: Rob Kim / Stringer | Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)

Actor Neil Patrick Harris Mourns Death of Beloved Dog ‘Ella’

On July 17, Neil Patrick Harris took to his weekly newsletter Wondercade to announce the death of his pet dog Ella. The “How I Met Your Mother” star published a heart-wrenching tribute to his beloved furry companion who had been with him and his family for over three years. The actor and his family are still processing the unfortunate news, holding off a social media post regarding the same to give themselves time to cope with the loss.

Neil Patrick Harris pens tear-jerking tribute to late dog ‘Ella’

On Wednesday, the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” actor announced that he had recently lost a precious family member. According to his tribute to Golden Retriever Ella, she passed away late last week while under the care of a close friend whom he considers a family member. The “practical family member,” Michael, was looking after all four of the family’s canine companions.

Unfortunately, the day after Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, arrived in New Hampshire, they received a call from Michael about the passing of their beloved dog. The actor noted his friend tried to keep his composure while recounting the incident, but his voice started breaking midway through.

The friend told them that a tree branch seemed to be caught in Ella’s collar. In an attempt to remove it, she most likely rolled around on the ground, which resulted in the branch wrapping around her neck and strangling her. He found the pup lying down in their Long Island house’s front yard with a section of the tree branch in her mouth.

Neil Patrick Harris stated that losing their beloved dog was a “massive loss.” There will always be “one thing missing,” even when life returns to normal. Moreover, the Golden Retriever was his husband’s favorite, so all he could do was give him some space to grieve. At the time of writing the tribute, the couple hadn’t told their kids the unfortunate news. However, the actor hoped having the entire family together would help them better process Ella’s passing.

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