Every morning, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. would pick up his car keys to leave for the day, his Pomeranian, Junebug, would sprint to the front door. With his nose pressed against the glass, he would be ready to tag along with his partner in crime, Gus, a regal Irish setter. Then, as the JRM owner would put on his coat, Junebug would act like doing it too. Perhaps that’s the reason he gave the pint-sized entertainer his own nickname, Junebug, coined by his father, Dale Earnhardt.

At least, that’s what we would like to believe. Truth be told, the Pomeranian was Amy Reimann’s dog. She had named him Junebug, and whether it was a coincidence that it was also Junior’s nickname is not known. Amy and Junior were not married then, but had been together for a while. But over the years, the 14-year-old dog loved hanging out with Dale Jr. so much that you would often find them riding a bicycle, with the pet sitting in the small basket on the front.

Sadly, that little fur baby is no longer going to brighten everyone’s day. Junebug’s pawrent and Junior’s wife shared the heartbreaking news with her Instagram followers on Wednesday. “Yesterday, my tiny Junebug made his way over the rainbow bridge,” Amy wrote.

“My heart is broken. I know dogs don’t live forever, but we definitely don’t get them long enough. I’m going to miss you, my sweet boy. Fly high and I’ll see you again.”

Amy also talked about Junebug and his final few minutes on her Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast. “I’m gonna miss him. He was a sweet little boy,” began a teary-eyed Amy. “I was holding him when he passed away, which is… I’m grateful for. Because if I hadn’t had to make the choice to put him down, I think that would’ve been harder. He was sleeping next to me down in the Elvis room. My alarm went off, I could hear he wasn’t breathing that well.

“So, I look over and I’m just petting him and as soon as I picked him up and started taking him towards the front door, he just passed away. It’s like he waited for me to wake up. It’s so sad. But I miss him.”

With that goodbye note, one thing’s clear: Junebug was more than just a pet; he was family, a fixture of the Earnhardt household. And, the Earnhardts were prepared, or perhaps even saw it coming. Earlier in March, he had suffered a stroke that left parts of his body numb, causing balance issues and sudden collapses. After examination, the doctors gave their prognosis that Junebug had just two to six months to live.

However, the family tried to do everything to comfort him. Keeping him close, following his every move, and spending as much time with him as they could. Although Junebug was still drinking water on his own, he wasn’t eating well. And so, they would put peanut butter on their fingers to let him lick it.

On his podcast and in interviews, Dale Jr had described Junebug’s health struggles candidly. “He’s doing that on a couple of legs where he is not sure where the ground’s at. And he falls over, he falls over like a fainting goat. And not moving very well, for about two days, he was mute. I just got a text from Amy that he is barking. So yesterday, I got him just to growl, just a little bit, because I play with him about his food… That’s the only way we can get him to take anything down. So it’s touch and go for Junebug.”

In May, some days before his 14th birthday, Amy revealed that her “favorite child” has an enlarged heart and murmur and will be on meds for life, but otherwise, they had healed the other issues. But he couldn’t fight his aging body. 

Just like Junior and Amy, their children, Isla Rose, and Nicole, will miss their furry friend. Amy revealed that while Isla is also going to experience the sadness, the way she is about losing their furbaby, Nicole, too, is old enough to understand. For Dale, though, this isn’t the first time he has had to say goodbye to his pet. Since he was a kid, he has enjoyed the company of a yellow Lab named Domino, Rocket the Irish setter, and several cats – Buddy, Cuz, Dude, and Tux.

He also had hamsters named after characters from the Days of Our Lives soap opera. And then there was his boxer, Killer, who passed away in 2015. For Amy, this loss would hit closer. And the NASCAR family resonates with what she is going through and is there to support her.

Fellow NASCAR voices console Dale Jr. and Amy Earnhardt

Junebug was regularly present on the tracks with Junior as the crew chief went about his day. And so, the furbaby’s loss is not just the family’s but the entire community’s. With the love the Earnhardts received on the news, that couldn’t be more true. Jamie Little captured the sorrow with gentle words for Amy, writing, “What a little sweetheart. I’m sorry Amy. 🐾” Longtime family member and Junior’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, echoed the pain as well. Kelley wrote, “We will miss JB. Love you!”

Gianna Tulio, Ryan Blaney’s wife, left a tender note, writing, “🥺🙏🏻 so sorry, sending all my love!” While broadcaster Rutledge Wood shared a simple, heartfelt response: “❤️❤️❤️” American singer Luke Combs’ wife, Nicole Combs, also added, “what a sweetie 💜💜💜 you can tell he was so loved.” Together, their messages reflect the wide embrace surrounding the Earnhardts during this loss.

Among the most poignant tributes came from former driver Danica Patrick, who wrote, “Ohh sweet Junebug, and your heart. I am so sorry. 🥺💔” Fans too, could not hide their sorrows, as one added, “I’m so sorry😢Our furbabies are family and it’s devastating to lose them. Sending you and your family big hugs and prayers🙏❤️” Their words perfectly capture the shared grief across the racing community, highlighting just how Junebug had touched lives far beyond the Earnhardt home and how we truly never get enough time to be with our furbabies.