Duchovny, 63, adopted his dog Brick in 2015, and the dog has been a favorite among the actor’s fans — Brick even had his own Instagram page.

Brick was found as a stray off a Los Angeles freeway in 2015 by rescuer Philip Steir, according to a post from Earth Animal. While searching for a new home for the dog, he got a call from Duchovny, who said that “he wanted him ASAP.”

The Californication star named the dog Brick in honor of former New York Jets offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Brick went from living on the streets to living in a mansion in Malibu with his celebrity owner.

“He began a new jet-setting life, traveling with David to his lavish Manhattan penthouse, to David’s film sets David is on, and on his tour bus with The David Duchovny Band,” Philip Steir wrote. “Quite the life and life change for such a beautiful boy and a sweetheart of a man.”

Sadly, after 9 years together, Duchovny announced that Brick has passed away. In a May 30 Instagram post, he wrote that he “put down my dog” this morning, sharing a photo of him holding Brick.

Duchovny also wrote a touching poem that anyone who has said goodbye to a dog will relate to, one that expresses the idea that while a dog’s life can be short and seemingly insignificant, they leave a big impact on the people who loved them.

I put down my dog this morning
And cried some
mourning
the loss of his mute expressive soul
That afternoon, at work, a blue sky punctuated only by small loitering clouds
The world moves on in its blithe way
and doesn’t care
About a little dog—-
It’s already as if he never existed
But he did
He sure did

David Duchovny

Many fans and Hollywood colleagues expressed their condolences, including Duchovny’s X-Files co-star Gillian Anderson.

“Awww Double D I’m so sorry. He was your guy. RIP Brick Duchovny,” Anderson wrote.

“I’m sorry, David. Sending you love,” wrote actress Leslie Mann, who appeared with Duchovny in The Bubble.

“We are so deeply sorry for your loss. His sweet memory lives on through you,” animal rights organization PETA commented. “The love you shared will be in your heart forever. Sending love and strength from all of us at PETA.”

Brick’s own Instagram also posted a final tribute, reflecting on what a good life the dog had.

“I’m sad to say goodbye to all my friends, but I am grateful for the life I lived. My life was a beautiful journey,” the post reads.

“One day I was living under the highway by myself and the next day I found the best family and roommates who gave me snacks, air conditioning, and a grassy field to play in. I also got to go to movie sets, concerts and meet a lot of interesting humans. Remember above all to take care of each other, take care of the planet and have a snack.”

David Duchovny has long been an advocate for pets. In 2011, he spoke on behalf of 600 Million, an organization developing edible birth control for cats and dogs to combat the pet overpopulation crisis.

And he teamed up with Brick to promote the “lick my face” challenge, in which people donated a dollar to the non-profit Target Zero for every lick their pet gave them.

Duchovny is a longtime dog owner: back in the day, he had a dog named Blue who would accompany him to the set of The X-Files.