“Goodbye to my first baby”: Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen Saban pens emotional letter for late furry friend Gunner

Kristen Saban experienced a tragic loss on Saturday. Nick Saban’s daughter lost her furry friend and companion, Gunner. She shared the news of her dog’s death on social media with a heartfelt post.

“I had to say goodbye to my first baby yesterday after 14 years of the most magical companionship, Kristen wrote. “If you knew Gunner, you loved him as much as I did.

“He was my little light of joy that I connected with from the moment I saw him. All dogs go to heaven, and I’m so thankful for the time spent together, a lot of it in my arms. I couldn’t have asked for a better pup. I’ll miss you forever, Gunnies.”

Kristen Saban cared for Gunner for 14 years. She’s been cited with the dog on several occasions, showcasing the deep connection she’s built with it over time. Rounding up her Instagram post, she appreciated the veterinary clinic that had taken care of Gunner for years.

“A massive thank you to everyone at @cahabamountainbrookac who cared for Gun over the last 8 years of being here in Birmingham. Angels,” Kristen wrote.

Kristen Saban’s strong love for dogs

Kristen Saban has a special admiration for dogs. This has been evident since childhood when she maintained a close relationship with their family dog, Ray Ray. This experience served as the major inspiration for her having her own dog after getting married.

Before their passing, Kristen brought Ray Ray and Gunner together a couple of times enjoying beautiful moments with the two dogs. The Saban family lost Ray Ray in 2023, prompting them to get a new dog later in the year. Nick Saban made the confirmation in October 2023.

“We’ve gone through some really, really gruesome times the last few weeks with our dogs,” Saban said per Touchdown Alabama. “We finally got a new dog, Abby. We are very, very thankful that Miss Terry has something at home she can love.”

Since the Golden Doodle, Abby, became a member of the Saban family, Kristen Saban has quickly built relationships, further showcasing her deep love for dogs.

A couple of weeks ago, Kristen Saban also expressed her admiration for Kirk Herbstreit's dog, Ben. While the dog was dealing with a series of health issues as Herbstreit explained, she showed a lot of love to the Golden Retriever.

Sadly, Ben passed away earlier this month after losing its battle with cancer. Gunner's passing follows closely on the heels of Ben’s demise, making great losses in the college football world.