CNN's primary news anchor Anderson Cooper managed to capture the hearts of Instagram users earlier this week when he posted a picture of the adorable Lilly, a Welsh Springer Spaniel that he has chosen to be his new companion following the sad passing of his beloved dog, Molly, late last year.
Captioning the gorgeous image, Cooper wrote: "My dog Molly passed away a few months ago. This weekend Lilly showed up! She's a Welsh Springer Spaniel. #TheRainbowComesAndGoes."
Molly was a constant companion to 48-year-old Cooper during her 11 years, often appearing in public while out walking with the bestselling author and his partner, Benjamin Maisani. She also featured regularly on his Instagram feed, as well as making appearances on Anderson Cooper Live and 60 Minutes – rather fittingly in a special dedicated to whether canines are capable of loving humans. Molly's passing was announced on Cooper's Instagram account. The newsman uploaded two photos of her with very few words – what more is there to say?
An old picture of my sweet dog Molly, who passed away today.
A self-confessed dog person, earlier this year Cooper supplied bulletproof vests for the Virginia State Department's entire K-9 unit, a move that came following the fatal shooting of a police dog, and cost an eye-watering $2,200 a piece.
Cooper says of his love of dogs: "I'm a total dog person… I love all kinds of dogs… What really [sticks] with me is that when dogs are looking at you, they're hugging you with their eyes."
We couldn't agree more, and his new companion looks as though she may well give the best hugs yet. We can't wait to find out what the two new chums are going to be getting up to, no doubt with the beautiful Molly never far from Cooper's mind. In the meantime, we're just looking forward to seeing Lilly's very first news re-paw-t – we're sure she'll do great!
