Robert Irwin isn’t just known for his raunchy appearances on Dancing With The Stars, like his famous father Steve, the Australian star is an avid animal lover. Although he’s extremely close to his mother Terri and sister Bindi, there’s one particular member of the family he’s incredibly fond of. Posting on Instagram over the weekend the Australian Zoo member shared some heartbreaking news on his beloved pup Stella.

“This is a tough one. I wanted to give an unfortunate update on my sweet little pup, Stella. A mass was discovered that ended up being cancerous,” he shared. “We still don’t know the full extent of the cancer. I have faith she’ll be in the clear.

“She is such an important part of our little fam, so it’s been stressful to say the least being away from home and away from her while she goes through this. I know you guys love seeing her and I love sharing her with you so wanted to give an update… she is doing ok post-surgery so far, she’s my little bestie & one tough cookie,” he concluded.

Many fans rushed to support him with well wishes, including his DTWS Danielle Fishel: “Robert, I’m praying for your sweet Stella to make a full recovery,” she said.

Robert Irwin with his pup Stella

The news comes after almost two decades since his dad died. Steve passed away after an underwater accident at age 44, when Robert was just two years old.  The wildlife conservationist said that as he gets older, he learns more and more about his dad, and feels closer to him than ever, despite having only spent a few years of his life with his father.

Robert and Stella up close and personal

“He’s still part of every day,” Robert told People magazine in an exclusive interview. “He’s part of every conversation. He’s part of my life. And I feel as though I get a little part of him back in some way, in every conversation I have about him, or any new story I hear about him, or in any new photo that I haven’t seen before.”

Thanks to the popular show The Crocodile Hunter, which ran from 1997-2004, Robert has access to lots of video footage of his father, which helps him feel closer to him.

Robert and Stella in a playful moment

“I’ll often come across archive footage that I haven’t seen before,” Robert said. “And all of a sudden, his memory just starts flooding back. So it’s weird that decades later, after losing someone when I was two years old, I almost have an even greater picture of the person he was.”

“As I start to reach the same sort of milestones that he did as a young bloke growing up, I, yeah, I feel closer to him in a way,” Robert added.

Steve Irwin poses with his family at Australia Zoo in 2006

“My dad is like a superhero figure. He’s like this omnipresent, just a superhero to me. And I’m so grateful for that, because while I didn’t have much time with my dad, I have a human being who exemplifies everything I want to be in life.

“I think losing someone as important as him at such a young age solidified the idea that life is fragile,” he shared.

“We don’t know what tomorrow holds, so you have to take calculated risks, you have to have fun, enjoy what you’re doing, and give everything 100 per cent,” he added.