Meet the Pets of the “Dancing with the Stars” Pros and Judges
Alan Bersten and his dog Jeff; Britt Stewart and her cat Midna.Credit: Alan Bersten/Instagram; Britt Stewart/Instagram
Dancing with the Stars has no shortage of proud pet parents.
Season 35 of the long-running reality TV series has three judges, two of whom have pets: Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough. On the pro side, meanwhile, several dancers have adopted cats and dogs over the years. In October 2026, Hough’s dog Romie died at age 14.
“Thank you, my boy, for choosing us, for carrying me, for giving me so much,” Hough wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram post announcing Romie’s death. “There’s an ache that feels unbearable. But it’s also proof that love lived here fully. And you always will.”
Ahead, meet the pets of nine Dancing with the Stars pros and judges.
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Derek Hough’s dog Luna and cats Paulo and LilyDerek Hough and his cat.Credit: Hayley Erbert Hough/Instagram
Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert Hough, share three other pets in addition to the late Romie.
The couple have another dog, Luna, and two cats, Paulo and Lily.
“Watching you care for our three cats and two dogs makes me even more excited about having kids together,” Derek wrote in a Mother’s Day Instagram tribute to his wife in May 2024. The couple later welcomed their first child, daughter Everley Capri, in December 2025.
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Carrie Ann Inaba’s dogs Lola and LokiCarrie Ann Inaba’s dogs Lola and Loki.Credit: Carrie Ann Inaba/Instagram
Inaba has two dogs named Lola and Loki. The former The Talk host also had a third dog, Peanut, who died in January 2026.
“Goodbye my eternal love...my little queen,” Inaba wrote on Instagram at the time. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to be yours.”
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Alan Bersten’s dog JeffAlan Bersten and his dog Jeff.Credit: Alan Bersten/Instagram
Alan Bersten has a dog named Jeff that he adopted in October 2024.
The So You Think You Can Dance alum even celebrated Hanukkah in 2025 with Jeff and his girlfriend, fellow pro Emma Slater.
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Sasha Farber’s dog RubySasha Farber and his dog Ruby.Credit: Sasha Farber/Instagram
Sasha Farber is also a pet parent. The pro initially fostered his dog, Ruby, in 2016 before deciding to give her a forever home.
Since joining Farber’s family, Ruby has been on “so many Dancing with the Stars tours,” he told PEOPLE in June 2025.
“She’s been through everything with me ... ” he said. “All you’ve got to do is show a rescue pet a little bit of love, and that’s it. They are yours for life; they will do anything for you. And that’s something so beautiful.”
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Brandon Armstrong’s dog TeddyBrandon and Brylee Armstrong with Teddy.Credit: Brylee Armstrong/Instagram
Brandon Armstrong has a family dog named Teddy.
In May 2026, his wife, Brylee Armstrong, shared a video on TikTok of the couple reuniting with Teddy after four months away.
“She likes him more than the ones who raised her,” Brylee joked in her caption. The couple also spent Christmas with Teddy in 2025.
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Britt Stewart’s cat MidnaBritt Stewart and her cat Midna.Credit: Britt Stewart/Instagram
Pro dancer Britt Stewart and her husband, Daniel Durant, famously adopted their cat Midna while at a baby shower for Erbert and Hough, per Kitten Rescue L.A.
Midna is the couple’s third cat, and after Stewart brought her home in November 2025, she joked that she was in “cat mom bliss” on TikTok.
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Witney Carson’s cat Midnight
Witney Carson in 2025; Witney Carson’s son and their cat Midnight.Credit: Witney Carson McAllister/Instagram (2)
Witney Carson adopted her cat Midnight in August 2024 and announced the kitten’s arrival with a sweet video on Instagram featuring her son, Leo.
“I never thought in a million years we’d adopt a kitten but here we are,” she wrote. “Welcome to the family Midnight!”
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Rylee Arnold’s dog MapleRylee Arnold and her dog Maple.Credit: Rylee Arnold/Instagram
Rylee Arnold has a Bernedoodle named Maple that she introduced on TikTok in December 2025.
“Everyone meet Maple!!” the pro wrote in her caption.
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Sharna Burgess’ three dogsSharna Burgess and her dog Birdie Blue.Credit: Sharna Burgess/Instagram
Pro dancer Sharna Burgess and her fiancé, Brian Austin Green, have three dogs. Their newest addition, Birdie Blue, joined the family in July 2026.
“We looked and waited a long time for the right fur baby to come into our tribe,” she wrote in a comment on Instagram explaining why they didn’t adopt a dog from a shelter. “After losing Sasha almost 2 years ago our goal was to of course rescue like we have many times before but unfortunately we couldn’t find who we needed.”
“Birdie Blue is perfect, she came from an incredible family and has fit in beautifully,” Burgess added.
Source: Nature
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