Heavy/Getty Hallmark actress Jaycie Dotin
Normally, this would be an exciting time for actress Jaycie Dotin, since she’s days from the premiere of her latest Hallmark movie, “Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows,” and just learned she’s been nominated for a big acting award. But amid all that happy news, Dotin is struggling with the sudden loss of her beloved dog, Rolo, who’s been her constant companion for the last 13 years.
“My soul is shattered into a million pieces,” Dotin wrote on Instagram, revealing that Rolo, a Morkie — a combination of Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier, per Petfinder — died on October 8, 2023. In a separate post, Dotin revealed that she spent her “entire savings” on cancer treatments for Rolo, but to no avail.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jaycie Dotin Calls Late Pup the ‘Center of My Universe’
On October 13, Dotin returns in the third installment of the “Curious Caterer” mystery franchise starring Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker. Dotin plays Marla Maguire, the best friend of DeLoach’s character, caterer Goldy Berry.
But she may have a hard time focusing on watching the Hallmark movie without pup by her side. On October 11, Dotin posted a series of photos of her and Rolo — including their first and last pictures together — along with a lengthy tribute on Instagram and Facebook.
“From our first to our last,” Dotin wrote. “It’s fitting that our final picture together says ‘objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.’ That phrase sums up our bond perfectly. He wasn’t just my dog. He was my alarm clock. My reason for going outside in the rain. My reason for even getting out of bed some mornings. He was my little healer. My therapist. My confidant. My joy. My heating pad. My comfort. My comedian. My student. My teacher. My adventure buddy. My best friend.”
Dotin wrote that life without him has reminded her how much her life had revolved around Rolo.
She explained, “Everything I did for 13 years, every decision I made, every trip I planned, every job I took, my daily routine, EVERYTHING revolved around him without me even realizing it. I booked flights based on the layover time so he could have a pee break. I missed important events when he needed me. I picked vacation spots based activities available for him. I literally spent my entire savings to pay for his cancer treatment without the blink of an eye.”
Dotin, who was born in Ohio, shared on social media in May that she’d earned her Canadian citizenship and was planning to move soon to Nanaimo, a town on the eastern side of Vancouver Island — a ferry ride away from Vancouver, where many Hallmark projects are filmed.
She wrote in her latest post about Rolo, “When I found out we were moving to Nanaimo I found a house to rent based solely on the fenced in yard so he could finally have a place that was his to run in. We signed a lease and move in two weeks from now. He’ll never get to see that yard.”
Dotin, who was also in the cast of Netflix’s “Ivy+Bean” movies, made it clear in her tribute post to Rolo that losing him has left her feeling unmoored.
“The center of my universe is gone and without his gravity I’m just free floating in space,” she wrote. “I’m not sure what life will look like without him. Regardless of the unspeakable pain and deep sorrow I’m feeling I would do it all again a thousand times over. He was my little soul mate and I am so thankful that he chose me as his human. I’m better for having had him in my life. Rest in peace, little nugget. I hope you’ve found the perfect beach to play on forever. ❤️”
Jaycie Dotin Receives Comfort & Congrats From Industry Friends
Dotin’s been showered with love by some of her Hallmark colleagues, who’ve reached out with sympathetic messages over her loss.
Frequent Hallmark producer Ryan Murphy left five red heart emoji on her first post about Rolo and Jaime Calica, who’s currently in Ottawa filming Hallmark’s new “Christmas With a Kiss,” commented, “Condolences on your loss, he’s in doggy heaven smiling down on you for sure”
Kate Craven, who’s appeared in many Hallmark projects, wrote, “Sent you a text. I’m here – and can be there in an instant. Love you my friend. ♥️”
And Walker, who stars as Detective Tom Schultz in the “Curious Caterer” movies, wrote, “So sorry Jaycie. The absolute worst. ❤️”
But Dotin’s fellow actors are also celebrating the news that she was just nominated for an UBCP/ACTRA Award — an honor from Canada’s union for actors, which is separate from the still-on-strike SAG-AFTRA union in the U.S.
On October 11, Dotin shared an Instagram post revealing she’s been nominated for Best Performance in a Made for TV Movie for her role in “Curious Caterer: Grilling Season,” the second movie in the franchise, which aired in July.
Dotin wrote, “Thank you to the @ubcp_actra nominating committee for this recognition. I am truly honored. Even bigger thanks to the entire cast and crew of the #CuriousCaterer series. Wouldn’t have even been possible without you. 🔎❤️”
In October 2022, Dotin told Digital Journal that being cast in the “Curious Caterer” movies was “a turning point for me as a Hallmark actor.”
“Not only was it my first supporting lead with the network, but my character ‘Marla McGuire’ is a refreshing departure from the typical side kick you see in this genre. She was written in a way that allowed me to really lean into my natural goofball side and our director Tony Metchie let me run wild with all my improvisational instincts.”
“Curious Caterer: Fatal Vows” premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on October 13 at 9 p.m. Eastern time.