It is never easy saying goodbye to a loved one, but it’s always much harder when that loved one is an animal. Justin Melnick took to social media to share the devastating news that Dita the Hair Missile, who played Cerberus on SEAL Team, has passed away.
Dita’s death came suddenly, and it was a decision that Melnick had to take. He shared in the caption of the Instagram post that Dita was diagnosed with bloat, and while surgery may have saved her, Melnick had to consider her age. At 11, he decided that the risk of surgery was too high and made a decision that no dog parent ever wants to make.
David Boreanaz, Alona Tal, and more from SEAL Team share their condolences
David Boreanaz, who played Bravo Team leader Jason Hayes on the series, was one of the first cast members to share his condolences. Outside of Melnick, he was probably the one to spend the most time with her on set, as in SEAL Team season 4, Cerberus was retired from serving and got to spend the remaining time with Jason.
"A great soul who will always be with you brother. Rainbow bridge"
His wife also took to the comments, sharing her condolences. She would have had the chance to spend some time with this beloved cast member.
Alona Tal, who played Stella on the series, also took to Instagram to share her condolences. She shared, “Noooooooooo!!!! I’m so sorry Justin! I loved her so much. You are the best dad and buddy she could have ever asked for.”
Many fans also shared their love for Dita the Hair Missile, as well as various organizations that had the opportunity to meet and work with her. MWD Team Support shared their love for her as she worked directly with them to raise awareness for the organization. They work with military working dogs to help the teams around the world. MWD Team Support also shared their own post to remember her on their socials.
Why Cerberus was written out of Bravo Team in SEAL Team season 4
Back in SEAL Team season 4, there were many fears that something would happen to Cerberus. At the end of season 3, Melnick’s Brock shared that Cerberus was showing signs of needing to be retired, but they were in the middle of a mission. There were constant fears that he would make a mistake that would lead to the loss of his life, and he was injured in the line of duty — with Jason carrying him out.
This was due to Dita’s building trauma. While she was a narcotics dog, she wasn’t initially used for the bombs. As an animal, she didn’t understand that she wasn’t in a war zone, and so, she started to suffer from the stress of the explosions. Melnick needed to put her first, and he made it clear she needed to be written out in some way.
It led to Cerberus’ storyline of being retired, and then Pepper came in to work with Bravo Team. Pepper is still a beloved part of Melnick’s family.
SEAL Team is available to stream on Paramount+.
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