"Thank you for loving on our 4 boys" - Michael Phelps' wife Nicole pens heartwarming note in light of family's dog death

Michael Phelps' wife Nicole Phelps has taken to Instagram to thank Legend, their dog who passed away on Monday. Legend was the beloved pet of the Phelps' household. He was battling a tumor on his forehead for quite some time prior to his death.

Nicole, 38, took to Instagram to mourn the loss and express her gratitude to Legend. She posted pictures of Legend with the her and Michael's children, and captioned the post with:

"Legend... Thank you for loving on our 4 boys the way you did. We know you loved them with everything you had. May you rest in peace. And may your soul find us again in the future."

Nicole had earlier shared with her fans that Legend died after suffering from a tumor. She wrote on Instagram:

"Saying goodbye is never easy. After months of Legend battling a tumor on his forehead, he told us it was time for him to find Juno again."

Michael Phelps often shares photos on social media of the family engaged in playtime with their dogs. The legendary swimmer told USA Today in 2017 about how they can come up with their dogs' names, saying:

"Nicole did Juno for Greek power and Legend is just, it was just his personality. He's just absolutely insane, crazy, wild, his own person, does whatever he wants. It's a fun name that we both agree on. He's for sure a legend."

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Michael Phelps also expresses gratitude towards Legend after latter's death

The most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time also shared images of his moments with Legend on Instagram. He captioned the post with:

"Thanks for being such a bad ass dog! Love ya and will always miss ya ledgey. Say hi to Juno and Herm for us! RIP buddy..."

Over the years, Michael Phelps has had multiple dogs. Back in 2011, the Olympian appeared on TODAY show to talk about his training regime and helped walk a rescued Catahoula mix, named Penelope, on the plaza. He adopted the dog and re-named her Stella.

Phelps also had a bulldog named Herman, who he referred to in his post for Legend.

Back in October 2017, the legendary swimmer told Pet Business that he has been a dog lover for as long as he can remember. He said:

"Dogs never disappoint and always help me keep things in perspective. They don't care if I win another medal - they just want to know when we can run around the backyard and chase after the ball."