Kerry Kennedy revealed that her dog was killed in a “terrifying and violent” attack, hours after her mom Ethel Kennedy had died.
In a post shared on X Oct. 24, Kerry Kennedy detailed how her dog named Bellini was attacked and killed by a neighborhood dog near her home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. She wrote that her daughter, Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, was with her when the incident happened on Oct. 10, just “a few hours” after her mom had died due to complications related to a stroke.
“Out of nowhere, a neighborhood dog charged, attacked, and killed Bellini. It was terrifying and violent beyond words,” Kerry Kennedy penned.
She said the “only sense” she could make of it was that her mom wanted a “companion for her journey.”
A few hours after my Mum passed, I returned home to Hyannis Port, where Michaela and I took Bellini for a walk on the beach. Out of nowhere, a neighborhood dog charged, attacked, and killed Bellini. It was terrifying and violent beyond words. The only sense I could make of it is… pic.twitter.com/XsbFxMpPy2
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) October 24, 2024
“She received the very best in Bellini,” Kerry Kennedy continued.
Kerry Kennedy, one of 11 children to Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy, explained that the owner of the neighborhood dog was “undone” by the attack, expressing dismay and offering to help her.
“He called me yesterday to say he has sent his beloved dog away, and we both cried on the phone together, having lost our pets,” she wrote.
Kerry Kennedy shared she took time to reflect on her feelings about the tragedy.
“Reflecting on the episode, I am heartbroken to have lost my beautiful companion, and I also am grateful to have a neighbor who was kind to me in the aftermath and who, instead of taking the easy stance of defensiveness, denial, and blame, took the hard decision for the greater good,” Kerry Kennedy continued. “I feel sad, but I also know I am blessed.”
On Oct. 16, Kennedy-Cuomo posted a tribute to both her grandmother Ethel and their family dog Bellini, mentioning the “welcome home party strobe lights” in reference to the northern lights that were visible across the U.S. on Oct. 10.
“Wishing the winds hadn’t returned Grandma and Bellini to Heaven on 10/10, but grateful and lucky for the lives they lead and the miracle of their welcome home party strobe lights shone on their home, Hyannis Port that night,” Kennedy-Cuomo wrote.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
