Jennifer Garner's dog Birdie dies after vet visit

Jennifer Garner has announced the death of her beloved golden retriever, Birdie, nine.

The announcement came Wednesday as the Deadpool & Wolverine actress, 52, revealed that the family dog was "at the end of her life."

“It is hard to know how to write this— it seems nuts, given the world, to mourn a pet, but since we have shared Birdie with all of you, it only seems fair to let you know of her passing,” she penned a tribute to go with an Instagram carousel dedicated to Birdie.

The family began to notice signs last week when Birdie, “a renowned foodie” who “never missed a meal” stopped eating, so they took her to the doctor.

“We were surprised to learn that, not only was she very ill, she was at the end of her life,” the actress wrote.

The 13 Going On 30 star added that, per the vet, Birdie was waiting on her last goodbyes before breathing her last.

“The vet told us that dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college,” Garner said, referring to her oldest daughter, Violet Anne Affleck, 18.

“And we believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world’s best dog.”

The actress also dropped a video of them lounging on the sofa as Garner read William Steig’s Pete’s a Pizza. Both Birdie and Garner could be seen in their reading glasses.

“She lived a happy dog life and is now in the role she was born to play: angel girl. It’s a gift to love and be loved by such a creature as Birdie the Doggie,” she concluded.

The actress also revealed that besides enjoying reading time, Birdie also enjoyed volunteering at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as a therapy dog.

“She wants to read some new books for kids. And speaking of kids, Birdie is a therapy dog,” the Alias alum said. “And she just got a promotion to work at Children's Hospital L.A.”