RIP Howard Stern's Bulldog, Bianca

Howard Stern and his wife, Beth Ostrovsky Stern, have lost their pet Bulldog, Bianca. The radio star and his wife both posted sad messages to Twitter on Tuesday night about the loss of the pooch, US Weekly reported; Howard called the day "tough," and said, "Thanks to all for all the kind messages. Give your dog a hug for me tonight." (We can only imagine; the dog passed away before Howard, a judge on "America's Got Talent," had to work the night's live show.)

Bianca's full name was "Bianca Romijn Stamos-O'Connell," thanks to the couple's friendship with Rebecca Romijn (who has since married Jerry O'Connell) and John Stamos at the time they adopted her.

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The Sterns posted lots of pictures of Bianca to Twitter -- and that Howard had Bianca's name tattooed on his arm, while Beth put Bianca on the cover of her book, "Oh My Dog," and once called her the "queen" of their household. The Sterns don't have human children together, although Howard has three daughters from his marriage to Alison Berns -- but they're committed animal lovers. Beth is a spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars via NYC Marathon team fundraisers for the no-kill shelter. And she and Howard have put together a four-legged family; Bianca is survived by the human Sterns and by cats Leon and Walter.

Celebrity friends like Sharon Osbourne tweeted their condolences upon hearing the news, and a devastated Beth responded, "I am broken." Aw. We know how heartbreaking it is to lose a pet; best wishes to the Sterns for getting through this difficult time.

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