Mandy Moore's "heart is utterly shattered" after she lost her dog

She wrote: "Last night, very unexpectedly, we lost our Joni girl. Yes, she was almost 13. Yes, she had pretty major surgery a week ago to remove a mass on her liver but she was recovering really well. Until last night. I knew something was amiss when she, lifelong food-obsessed, didn’t finish her dinner and couldn’t get comfortable in bed (despite being on pain meds).

"My mama intuition told me to bring her in and I’m glad we did ... To know her, was to love her. She never met a stranger. She was waaaaay more human (or muppet) than dog. She loved ANYTHING she could eat, even if sometimes it was gross (cat poop). Seriously, she was a vacuum. She loved her brother Jackson. She loved lying in the sun to catch some zzzzs. She adored @taylordawesgoldsmith. She tolerated her cats brother and sisters. And I have no doubt she knew what an absolutely indispensable part of our lives and cherished soul she was ... right until the end. (sic)"

And the 36-year-old star dubbed Joni her "first love and best friend".

She added: "My heart is utterly shattered. She was my first love and best friend. Through every twist and turn of life of this past decade and change, she was right there. There’s a deep chasm of emptiness that will never be filled but I am so grateful for her sweet nature and the endless connection, compassion, responsibility, patience and devotion that the love of a pet can bring into your orbit ... I will love and miss you forever, my Joni. Thank you for beyond a lifetime of love."