Derek Hough is mourning the death of his dog Romie, sharing an Instagram tribute on Sunday, October 25 that marked the loss of a companion he said had been by his side for 14 years. In the post, he called Romie his son and his “Romie boy,” and said the grief feels unreal.
The message landed as a personal goodbye rather than a formal announcement. Hough wrote that Romie came into his life when he was still trying to figure things out, and that for a long time the dog was his constant. He said Romie had seen him at his worst and his best, and had given him purpose when he could not find it himself.
That is why the tribute reads like a life story as much as a loss. Hough said Romie was there as he grew up, fell in love and became a husband, then added that he asked him to hold on so he could meet his little sister. Romie, he said, kept that promise.
The post also showed the strain of saying goodbye to a pet that had become part of the family’s everyday rhythm. Hough wrote that waking up without Romie feels unreal, describing the empty spot where he expected him to appear and saying the ache feels unbearable. Still, he said the pain is proof that love lived there fully.
For readers searching the phrase Derek Hough pet passes away, the news is simple: Romie has died, and Hough has made that loss public in a tribute that leaves one detail unanswered. He did not say what caused Romie’s death, only that he was thankful for the years they had together and closed with, “Goodbye for now my sweet sweet Romie Boy.”
Hough and Hayley Erbert are now left with the memory of a dog who was there through nearly every major chapter of their life together, from the years before marriage to the family they are raising now. The tribute does not point to a next step or public farewell, but it does make clear that Romie’s place in the household was permanent.
