Andy Cohen Opens Up About Decision To Rehome His Beloved Dog Wacha

Andy Cohen made the gutwrenching decision to rehome his dog Wacha and protect his son

After nearly seven years together, Andy Cohen told fans that he has rehomed his adopted dog, Wacha. Cohen said that the decision came out of concern for his young son, Ben, but that Wacha is now “thriving” in his new home.

“I’ve put off sharing this news as long as I could. As you may know, Wacha is my first baby, my beautiful rescue puppy. He is my pride and joy. When he came into my life, my world changed,” Cohen shared on Instagram along with a sweet video of the two of them. He said he was blessed to have the pup in his life and that they’d worked on “some occasional random signs of aggression.” Since bringing Ben home — the Watch What Happens Live host welcomed his first child, Benjamin Allen Cohen, via surrogate in February 2019 — Cohen said that “no effort was spared in the attempt to help Wacha feel adjusted.”

CBS News reports that Cohen rescued Wacha in 2013 from See Spot Rescued, an organization that saved him from a West Virginia kill shelter. But he said after an incident that happened a few months back, “numerous professionals led me to the conclusion that my home is simply not a good place for him. Keeping him here could be catastrophic for Ben and worse for Wacha.”

Though Cohen is understandably heartbroken, he said Wacha is happy and thriving in his new home. “The good news is that he now has a permanent home with his second family, in the place he lived every single time I went out of town. He is thriving. We still see each other, but a piece of my heart is gone.”

Cohen went on to say that although he knew this was the right decision, he misses his “first baby” being with him every single day. “I miss his weight on top of me first thing in the morning. I miss him waiting for me in front of the shower. And I miss the sound of his paws on the floor when I come home.”

Cohen credited Wacha with changing him as a person and opening him up to the possibility of parenting. “He opened me up to love.. to caring… and ultimately to having a family,” he wrote. “When I think of him — let’s be honest, when don’t I think of him — it’s with the clarity that we were meant to come into each other’s lives exactly when we did, and that he’s happy, which gives me peace of mind. ”

Cohen finished his sweet tribute thanking his dog for changing him and his life: “We did rescue each other.”