Andy Cohen Reunites with Former Dog Wacha Years After Rehoming Him: ‘You Changed My Life’

Andy Cohen Reunites with Former Dog Wacha Years After Rehoming Him: ‘You Changed My Life’ https://ift.tt/Mqbwcjt

The Bravo host shared a sweet Instagram video during a visit with his former rescue dog, saying Wacha is “doing GREAT” in his longtime caretaker’s home

Andy Cohen poses with his dog Wacha at the Residence Inn by Marriott and North Shore Animal League America “Dog Days Of Summer” adoption event on August 10, 2017 in New York City.
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Andy Cohen reunited with his former rescue dog, Wacha, sharing a heartfelt Instagram video of the pair together on Wednesday, July 22
• The Bravo host said Wacha “changed my life” and shared that the beloved pup is “doing GREAT” with his longtime caretaker
• Cohen rehomed Wacha in 2020 after professionals determined the dog was no longer a good fit for his home with son Benjamin

Andy Cohen is catching up with an old friend.

The Bravo host reunited with his former rescue dog, Wacha, and shared the emotional visit with fans in an Instagram video on Wednesday, July 22, reflecting on the lasting bond they have maintained since Wacha was rehomed in 2020.

“I am happy to report that I am with an old, old friend,” Cohen said as he walked alongside Wacha in the video.

Cohen, 58, then reflected on the impact the beagle-foxhound mix had on his life.

View this post on Instagram

“You changed my life, my sweet Wacha,” he said. “You changed my life. You opened me up to everything, everything, and I’m so lucky, and I’m so much better for it.”

“It’s a nice visit we’re having,” he concluded.

In the caption accompanying the post, Cohen shared an update on how Wacha is doing in his current home.

“Visit with my old pal 🐶,” he wrote. “Wacha is doing GREAT! He lives happily with his longtime caretaker, and I’m so lucky I get to visit with him! He changed my life.”

Wacha was rehomed in May 2020 after Cohen revealed that the rescue dog had displayed “some occasional random signs of aggression,” which professionals determined could pose a risk to his then-1-year-old son, Benjamin Allen.

“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,” Cohen wrote on Instagram at the time, calling the dog his “pride and joy.”

“When he came into my life, my world changed. Over the nearly seven years that I’ve been blessed to have Wacha in my life, we have worked to address some occasional random signs of aggression,” he continued. “No effort was spared in the attempt to help Wacha feel adjusted.”

After what Cohen described as “an incident a few months ago,” he said, “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,” Cohen wrote, adding that the dog had found a “permanent home” with the family who had long cared for him whenever Cohen traveled.

“He is thriving,” Cohen said at the time. “We still see each other, but a piece of my heart is gone.”

He also credited Wacha with changing the course of his life.

“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 continued. “We did rescue each other. Thank you, Wacha.”

The pair have continued to reunite over the years. In 2023, Cohen shared photos from another visit, captioning the post, “Saw an old friend yesterday. It was heaven ♥️.”

Speaking on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy after one reunion, Cohen said he planned to remain an active part of Wacha’s life.

Andy Cohen and Wacha.
Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

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“I took him out for an hour walk, which is what I plan to do now, I plan to see him still,” Cohen said. “Wacha is going to stay in my life — that’s what I want you guys to know — this dog is going to stay in my life. He is a part of my life. It’s just not anything I could have imagined would happen, but it did.”

Cohen has previously shared that he first found Wacha while browsing Petfinder.com late one night after filming his show in search of a dog.

“The first picture I saw of him is just ingrained in my memory,” Cohen previously told PEOPLE. “He had these soulful eyes that just spoke to me.”