Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ new dog will not be coming home yet. The couple said the puppy, Javi, is being treated for a parasite, pushing back the adoption they had expected to move ahead quickly.
Ripa first told viewers on October 12 that she and Consuelos planned to adopt a Shih Tzu puppy, and the delay became public on October 18, making the update immediate for anyone following the family’s next step after Chewie’s death. Javi is the puppy they had already been talking about, and he was originally named Lucas before the couple changed it.
The new arrival is supposed to join Lena, the Maltese-Shih Tzu mix the couple adopted in 2020. Ripa also shared a video on Instagram of Lena meeting Javi backstage, a small glimpse of what the household was expecting before the health issue interrupted the handoff.
The delay matters because this was not just another pet adoption announcement. Ripa had already connected Javi to Chewie, saying on October 13 that the puppy reminded her of the dog who died in February 2025 at age 17, and she has said she will never get over that loss and will mourn him for the rest of her life. That is the emotional center of this story: the couple were preparing to bring home a puppy that felt like a continuation of a grief they are still living with.
For now, the answer is plain. Javi is not home yet because he needs treatment first, and Consuelos said that once the parasite is cleared up, he is going to come. No date was given, but the next move is already set: the puppy will join the family after he is healthy enough to do so.
