Actor Pierre Png and wife Andrea DeCruz mourn death of their shih tzu Cookie

SINGAPORE – Local actor and radio deejay Pierre Png and his wife, former TV personality Andrea DeCruz, are mourning the loss of their dog Cookie.

Cookie was the last and the youngest of the celebrity couple’s three adopted shih tzus. Woofie died in 2017, while Oreo died in 2020. Both dogs were 14.

In an Instagram post on March 1, Png, 51, uploaded an old photo of himself with all three shih tzus on a picnic mat.

The Crazy Rich Asians (2018) star wrote: “Cookie, I can only imagine the ruckus you three are creating. Thank you for bringing us so much joy.”

DeCruz, 50, posted a similar photo that day of herself with her beloved pets.

She wrote: “The last of the three amigos (Spanish for friend), the tiniest and the one always up to mischief. Forever in our hearts...”

Both did not specify when Cookie died. The average lifespan of shih tzus is between 10 and 16 years.

In a 2018 interview with The Business Times, the couple said Cookie was five at the time. They had adopted Cookie at six months from animal welfare group Voices For Animals.

The dog had a skin infestation at the time that DeCruz said made it look much older. It had to be taken to the veterinarian every month for a year before it recovered and grew healthy fur.

The couple, who married in 2003, also have an adopted pet poodle, Fluffy. They do not have children.

When Png won his Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes trophy at the Star Awards in 2022, he drew laughs from the crowd when he sincerely thanked his family, wife DeCruz and his “two dogs at home”, referring to Cookie and Fluffy.