shlee Holmes is “obsessed” with her newest family member.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey daughter returned to Instagram this week to introduce the world to Rocky — an adorable mixed puppy she rescued from Texas. Ashlee revealed the four-legged cutie in a March 24 Instagram video, capturing the exact moment her son, Cameron Hendrix Malleo, laid eyes on his new pet.
Ashlee surprises her son, Cameron, with a new puppy: "Obsessed"
“This is your puppy. Want to meet him? This is your puppy,” Ashlee told the 8-year-old boy.
“What do you mean this is my puppy?” Cameron asked as he carefully approached the dog. “I get to keep him?... What’s his name?”
“We think his name is Rocky,” Ashlee said, “but we were gonna talk about it with you.”
Ashlee — daughter of RHONJ alum Jacqueline Laurita — confirmed the puppy was a mini Australian shepherd/corgi mix that was “hand-delivered” by one of her aunts. She also revealed that the pooch had two siblings still available for adoption and encouraged her followers to contact her for more details.
Ashlee has spent the past week documenting Rocky’s first days in New Jersey. And there's no doubt he's feeling right at home.
“Are you kidding me?” she captioned photos of the pup lying belly-up on the couch. “I’M OBSESSED WITH HIM.”
What happened to Ashlee's previous dog, Arlo?
The Rocky post drew dozens of gushing comments; however, some wondered what happened to Ashlee’s previous dog, Arlo. The Jersey daughter told her followers that the Beagle was now living with a friend and was “very happy and thriving.”
Ashlee adopted Arlo in the spring of 2021 but decided to give him up after her schedule changed.
“I didn’t have help with the dog at all,” she explained in a January 2022 Instagram post. “It was very hard. I wasn’t able to be home as much. Because we rent, I didn’t want him to run around the place while I wasn’t home. Because of this, he was spending a lot of time in his crate. It just wasn’t fair to him. After a few months, I simply didn’t know if/when things were ever going to stabilize.”
Ashlee eventually found Arlo an “amazing” new family with a “big backyard.” She and Cameron also visit their old friend from time to time.
“He goes on hikes often, frequents the dog park still, and is very loved,” she continued. “If they ever need a dog sitter, they can always call us first.”
