Jennifer Garner's Dog Birdie Dies But Not Before Daughter Says Goodbye

A famous dog has passed ... a dog famous for her owner and famous in her own right.

Birdie was a Golden Retriever owned by Jennifer Garner, who announced the pooch has passed.  Jen says, “It is hard to know how to write this— it seems nuts, given the world, to mourn a pet, but since we have shared Birdie with all of you, it only seems fair to let you know of her passing.”

Birdie stopped eating last week -- a clear sign something was wrong because J.G. described the dog as a foodie -- and the fam became alarmed and too her to the vet, who delivered some horrible news -- Birdie was at end of life.

There was a big problem ... Jen's daughter Violet was off at college, and it was important for both Violent and Birdie to say goodbye to each other, since each was a big part of the other's life.

The vet told Jen -- we're not co-signing on this -- that dogs hang on until a loved one comes home from college, and Birdie did just that.

Birdie was pretty famous, appearing frequently on Insta. One shot shows Birdie and Jen --- both wearing glasses --  laying on a sofa as the human read the book, Pete's a Pizza.

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Jen's tribute was super sweet ... “She lived a happy dog life and is now in the role she was born to play: angel girl. It’s a gift to love and be loved by such a creature as Birdie the Doggie. 🐾.”