ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and his dog Ben watch players warm up before the start of an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas on Oct. 5 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Michael Woods/AP

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Michael Woods/AP

ESPN host Kirk Herbstreit announced the death of his dog, Ben – a golden retriever who captured the hearts of football fans in appearances alongside ESPN announcers.

“This is really hard to write, but so many of you have loved and cared about Ben that I wanted to let you know,” Herbstreit wrote on Thursday on Ben had spread and that there was nothing left. what we could do, we had to let him go.

Herbstreit had told fans earlier this year that 10-year-old Ben had been diagnosed with leukemia, which required chemotherapy treatment and major surgery. In September, Herbstreit said Ben had had an “incredible recovery” and his journey with the College GameDay chief analyst.

But on Monday, Herbstreit told his supporters that Ben, a certified emotional support animal, had fallen ill again.

“Ben had a second chemo injection on October 23 and from that day on it has been getting worse,” he wrote on X. “He can no longer use his back legs, almost as if they are paralyzed. He can barely walk. He hasn’t eaten in three days.”

Herbstreit said at the time that he and Ben were in Pennsylvania seeking treatment from a holistic doctor who used vitamin C to treat the puppy.

“I’ve had dogs all my life, but Ben was 1 on 1,” Herbstreit wrote in tribute to Ben. “Always a big smile and a gentle wag of the tail. He and I could communicate…he and I understood each other and had each other’s backs. He was home with me more than anyone else and traveled with me for work. Such an easy companion. A tough day, but it will live on in all of us forever.”

During his time as an honorary sports analyst, Ben has picked up appropriate titles ranging from ‘football’s chief happiness officer’ to ‘treatment analyst’.

On Herbstreit’s social media pages, Ben’s fans paid tribute to the dog and praised Herbstreit for returning to work despite his grief.

“We love you, Kirk,” someone wrote on an Instagram post of Ben walking excitedly through a hotel, wagging his tail. “This man calls a game the day his dog comes over. He loves football, but more importantly, he loved Ben. That dog was truly unique.”