Mandy Moore’s Husband Gives Her Replica of Late Dog for Their Baby ‘Will Still Know’ Her

Nearly two months after her beloved dog Joni’s death, Mandy Moore now has a way always to keep her close to her heart. On Friday, the This Is Us actress revealed that her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, gifted her a stuffed animal replica of her late dog over the holidays so that their son “will still know” the pooch.

Sharing photos of the stuffed replica, created by Cuddle Clones, the actress, who is currently expecting her first child, said, “this was by far my fav gift over the holidays.” She said that while her unborn son will never get the chance to meet Joni in person following the pup’s Nov. 30 death, the “little stuffed animal version of my beloved Joni” will allow him to “still know her.” Many of Moore’s followers were impressed by the thoughtful gift, one person writing, “Oh my goodness this is so special!” Several others expressed shock over how closely the stuffed animal resembled Joni, whom Moore rescued in 2008 at the Barking Lot, a non-profit shelter in San Diego. Moore quipped in response to one such reply, “even our other dog was confused….”

Moore announced on Dec. 1 that her beloved pooch had died “very unexpectedly.” The almost 13-year-old pup was “recovering really well” from a procedure to remove a mass on her liver, though Joni soon took a turn for the worse. Moore said the “lifelong food-obsessed” dog didn’t finish her dinner and “couldn’t get comfortable in bed,” despite being on pain medication. Moore said Joni’s passing left her with “a deep chasm of emptiness that will never be filled,” and expressed remorse that Joni would never get to meet her the actress’ and Goldsmith’s unborn child.

“She was the boss and a total mama’s girl,” she wrote. “I’m so sad she won’t get the chance to meet her human brother soon but maybe she wasn’t ready to share. Or be a suction cup right by my side every night. I will love and miss you forever, my Joni. Thank you for beyond a lifetime of love.”

Joni’s death came as Moore and her husband prepare to welcome their first child together. The couple, who married in 2018, shared the exciting news in September that they are expecting. The little one on the way is a baby boy who will arrive in “early 2021,” the Walk to Remember actress teased. In her Friday post, Moore said she and her husband were continuing “to set up” for their little one’s arrival.