Howard Stern's Bulldog Bianca Dies

USMagazine, Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 8:00am (PDT)

The Stern family is mourning the loss of a very important family member: their 10-year-old bulldog Bianca.

"Tough day today my friends. Thanks to all for all the kind messages. Give your dog a hug for me tonight," Howard Stern, 58, tweeted Tuesday night.

His wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, 40, also paid tribute to their beloved pet. "We lost our precious Bianca today. My sweet little girl, may you rest in peace. I love you forever."

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Bianca's full name? Bianca Romijn Stamos-O'Connell. "When we got her, we were so close with Rebecca Romijn and John Stamos," Beth told Us Weekly recently. "When Rebecca married Jerry O'Connell, we hyphenated!"

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It was clear just by their abundance of Bianca-related Twitpics that the English Bulldog was more than just the family pet; their four-legged brood also includes cats Leon and Walter. (While the avid animal rights supporting couple don't have any children together, the shock jock does have three daughters with ex-wife Alison Berns.)

Howard has Bianca's name tattooed on his arm, while Beth has made the pup a star by including her on the cover of her book, Oh My Dog, and several magazine shoots including the August 2009 cover of VIV Mag.

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Upon their announcement, the family received several condolences from friends, including Sharon Osbourne, a known animal lover. "So sorry to hear about Bianca. My heart is breaking for you. Love, your friend Sharon," the Osbourne matriarch tweeted at Beth.

Beth's response: "I am broken."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Howard Stern's Bulldog Bianca Dies