Hoda Kotb Adopts New Family Member 6 Months After ‘Today’ Exit
Hoda Kotb‘s post-Today plans included adding an adorable new member to her family.
In a Thursday, July 10, Instagram post, Kotb revealed that she and her two daughters, Haley and Hope, recently adopted a puppy. “It’s official! Meet our newest addition— WAFFLES!” she captioned a clip of herself and her girls welcoming the pup home.
“Here, take her. She’s yours,” a woman said as she handed the dog to Kotb, adding that Waffles was “sleeping” on the car ride over to Kotb’s house. Kotb proceeded to place the puppy in Hope’s arms after she asked if she could hold her.
“Look how cute she is,” Kotb exclaimed in the clip. Haley, for her part, gave the dog some loving pets on the head.
Fans gushed over Kotb’s latest addition in the post’s comments. “Nothing like having a dog as a child. Adorable!!” one fan wrote, while another added, “OMGoshhhhhh! Waffles, you hit the family jackpot 🎰!! Congrats to you & your girls @hodakotb 🐾💕.”
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A different user wrote that Kotb’s daughters “will fall in love with Waffles immediately and so will you, adding, “I am so happy for all of you.. Unconditional love always!” A separate commenter wrote, “Happy Gotcha Day Waffles!! You’re in for a ton of fun 🥰👏💕.”
In addition to adopting Waffles, Kotb has kept herself busy since leaving NBC’s Today in January by announcing her new book, Jump and Find Joy, and launching her own wellness brand, Joy 101.
The TV personality detailed her summer plans in a Thursday, email newsletter, sharing that she dubbed the season “Slow Down Summer.” She shared. “Sloooow down. Stop dreaming of lunch while you’re eating breakfast. (I do that.) This time, I’m trying to maintain a mini-plan with lots of wiggle room: Sure, we can skip this and relax instead. Let’s just be present.”
Kotb continued, “I think yesterday set the perfect pace for our summer: The girls went to camp, we hit the beach, biked with neighbors to pizza, strolled to ice cream, played games at home, then night-night. We just flowed. With this new relaxed approach, I’m hoping our break will be less of a blink or a blur. After all, summer’s supposed to be an exhale, right? Not a race.”
Kotb isn’t the only Today star to welcome a furry little friend into their family in recent months. Savannah Guthrie debuted her new dog, Fetch, in her family’s December 2024 Christmas card. “Mike, Savannah, Vale and Charley are delighted to announce that this year, we made Fetch happen,” Guthrie’s card, which referenced the iconic “Fetch” phrase from Mean Girls, read.
Earlier this year, Guthrie got her dog into the Super Bowl LIX spirit by dressing Fetch in Philadelphia Eagles merch for the big game. “Man’s best friend #letshunt #gobirds🦅 #Fetch,” she captioned a February 9 Instagram video of Fetch sporting a doggie-sized Eagles jersey.
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