Kate Gosselin announced she is stepping back from social media following the sudden death of her beloved dog, Nanuq. The former Jon and Kate Plus 8 star shared the sad news on TikTok and Instagram days after suffering the painful loss.
Gosselin, 50, shared photos of the sable-colored German Shepherd in a late Christmas Day post on Instagram.
“We suffered an unimaginable loss on Friday night,” she captioned the photos. “My soul girl, the rest of me passed away quickly in the car on our way home for Christmas. I am taking a break from TikTok because I am hurting so deeply. But I know you guys loved her too, so I needed to let you know.”
Gosselin also shared details on her dog’s final hours. She wrote, “I have no words. One minute, she was here and healthy. The next, she was gone. Her last gift to me was when she got into the truck to leave, she poked her head forward to where I was sitting in the passenger seat and licked my left cheek, twice. I’m trying to replace the traumatic memories and things I can never unsee with that memory. My sweet girl kissing me, saying ‘thank you for taking me on a ‘long bye bye’, which was her favorite thing in the world. Then, a little over 3 hours later, she was gone. I will never understand it. When I can, I’ll talk about details. For now, I cannot.”
“I will spend the rest of my life missing you NuNu,” Gosselin wrote. “Life will never be the same. I love you more than life itself. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. Nanuq Juneau: 04/19/2016 – 12/19/2025.”
Fans offered Gosselin condolences on TikTok and Instagram.
“Thank you. I’m in so much pain I don’t know what to do. 💔, “Gosselin replied to one TikTok commenter.
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Gosselin first introduced Nanuq to fans in June 2016. At the time, she shared photos of two pups with the caption, “And more pics of our newest family members … Mak and Nanuq (pronounced nu-nuke) #8WeeksOld.”
Nanuq was an ancestor of Shoka, one of the Gosselin family’s original dogs. In 2016, she shared photos of the two dogs stretching out.
“Like Father (Shoka), like daughter (Nanuq)! We are really enjoying life with our THREE King German Shepherds!“ she wrote at the time.
Gosselin had taken a long absence from social media in recent years as she began living a more private life as a nurse in North Carolina. But in July, she launched her TikTok page where she introduced her latest German shepherd, Meika, and shared how Nanuq was adapting to having a new puppy in the house. Gosselin jumped back into social media full force with videos on her dogs, their road trips, and her recent recovery from leg surgery. In her videos, Gosselin noted that Nanuq was a “pro traveler” who loved to join her and her boyfriend for road trips.
In late 2025, Gosselin revealed on TikTok that Nanuq suffered from arthritis. “An old girl (Nanuq) with arthritis doesn’t want an over-eager puppy (Meika) jumping on her constantly!” she wrote, noting that Meika was still in training.
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