Al Roker and wife Deborah Roberts expressed gratitude for their friends’ and fans’ support after their dog Pepper suffered a health emergency. On Sunday, May 5, Roker posted photos of him and Roberts with Pepper at an animal care center on Instagram.
“Our little girl, Pepper had emergency surgery but is on the mend,” The Today anchor wrote in the caption. “She’s getting great care and is coming home tomorrow. Woof.” He added, “You can sleep on our bed as much as you want.”
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The photos show Roberts and Roker smiling at the camera as the former carried Pepper, who was wearing a cone. An IV port could be seen in Pepper’s arm in another picture of Roker holding the dog on his lap.
As part of her post about the health scare, Roberts began her message by writing, “Gratitude. My heart is bursting with it today. Our littlest girl, Pepper, gave us quite a scare.” In reference to Pepper’s surgery, she wrote, “Thankfully, our strong girl is recovering.” Lastly, she thanked everyone for their kind words, writing, “We are grateful for any and all prayers for our sweet doggie who has stolen our hearts for 12 years now.”
Pepper was adopted from a Pennsylvania rescue in 2012, and she has been an integral part of the Roker family ever since. Even so, Roker joked that Pepper is not exactly sure what to make of his granddaughter Sky, who was born last summer to his daughter Courtney Roker Laga and her husband.
Pepper was captured lying next to Sky in a playful image that Roker shared in December 2023, looking curiously at the baby. “Pepper still not sure about Sky. Who is this who steals my attention?,” Roker captioned the post.
Having a grandchild has made Roker look forward to his new role. “It is magical, it really is,” he told his Today co-hosts. “The thing is, everyone tells you it’s going to be ‘this thing’ and you don’t know; it’s like when they tell you about having your first child. And then to hold this little girl, knowing almost 35 years ago I held her mom? And here she is, 5 lbs., 15 oz. 19 inches long and she’s just perfect. [Baby Sky] sleeps for four hours, wakes up, goes to the bathroom, sleeps another four. We’re on the same schedule!”
During a Today.com interview shortly after Sky was born in 2023, Roker revealed the adorable nickname he would like to be called as a grandparent. “My dad was Pop-Pop to all of his grandchildren, so I want to keep the tradition going. The little one may have other ideas, but that’s the one I’m pushing,” he said.
