Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that his family’s golden retriever, Pancake, has died.
The beloved dog, known around the Governor’s Mansion as the “First Puppy of Texas,” was 11.
Abbott shared the news in a post on X, along with photos of Pancake through the years with him and first lady Cecilia Abbott.
The Abbotts got Pancake as a puppy in 2015, shortly after Abbott became governor.
Over the years, the golden retriever became a familiar face to Texans, appearing in photos from the Governor’s Mansion and public posts from the Abbott family.
“Cecilia and I are so grateful for the 11 years that Pancake brought joy and affection to our family and to guests of the Mansion,” Abbott wrote. “She will be greatly missed by all the Texans who met her.”
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Abbott did not say what caused Pancake’s death.
The average lifespan of a female golden retriever is about 10 to 12 years, according to PetMD.
Pancake’s death marks another personal loss for the Abbott family, which previously said goodbye to Oreo, the family’s border collie, in 2017.
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For more than a decade, Pancake was part of life at the Texas Governor’s Mansion, greeting visitors and giving the state’s top Republican a softer side away from the political fights in Austin.
Now, the “First Puppy of Texas” is being remembered for the joy she brought to the Abbott family and to Texans who got to meet her.
