“The vet told us that dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college,” Garner said, referring to her oldest daughter, Violet Anne Affleck, 18. “And we believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world’s best dog.”

Jennifer Garner shared on Nov. 27 that her dog Birdie died, saying that she and kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel—who she shares with ex Ben Affleck—were all able to say goodbye.