AceShowbiz -

Caroline Manzo's family received sad news during the Christmas celebration. Their dog Austin, who had been sick for a while, died on Christmas day. The former star of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" took to Instagram to mourn the death of the beloved pet.

"RIP my beautiful little puppy, you were so loved. Santa has a new sidekick," Manzo wrote. She uploaded a photo of the cute Jack Russell terrier sitting on Santa's lap. Manzo's daughter Lauren also shared a photo of the dog a day before. "My little man, feel better baby," she pleaded in the caption.

"Lost our little guy today, been with us every step of the way for the last 17+ years. Gonna miss you buddy," Manzo's son, Albie, wrote on Instagram. He additionally shared a lengthy story of Austin on Twitter, saying that the dog helped him through hard times. "Austin meant a lot to me," he said.

"No matter how my day was, he was there just kind of waiting to hang out. Hanging out at home always made me forget the other stuff, that's why I did it so often and loved it so much and he fit in perfect," he continued. "It's a tough day for me cuz I didn't lose a dog, I lost a piece of what has always kept me smiling over the years."

RIP my beautiful little puppy, you were so loved. Santa has a new sidekick - xoxo pic.twitter.com/WDQa5tekNc

— Caroline Manzo (@CarolineManzo) December 25, 2013