The icon, 75, opened up about losing her 14-year-old dog on Monday, saying it felt like she had lost a child.
“She was always with me; the last 14 years she went everywhere I went,” Streisand told the Associated Press . “She was at every performance. It was like losing a child. It was kind of awful.”
The singer announced Samantha’s death in a heartfelt Instagram tribute in May, writing, “Jason took this pic of me holding Sammie on Mother’s Day. This is the last time my picture was taken with my beloved Samantha. May she rest in peace. We cherish every moment of the 14 years we had with her. May 2003 — May 2017.”
Samantha (“Sammie”) and Streisand had an inseparable bond, according to a source.
“Barbra was devoted to Sammie,” a source tells PEOPLE. “At home in Malibu, he followed her around wherever she went. He was truly a loving companion. Her best friend.”
Instagram is a fitting place for the Grammy winning singer to mourn Samantha’s loss. After all, Streisand’s first post (in August 2014) prominently featured the pup. “Hello Instagram… isn’t my Samantha just precious?” she wrote — captioning a shot of the two.
Since then, Streisand hasn’t needed many excuses to share pics of Samantha — whom she often called “Sammie.” From National Puppy Day to Samantha’s birthday, Streisand gave her treasured companion plenty of social media love.
The dog lived a life of luxury, traveling with Streisand and husband James Brolin on vacation. Her image was once crafted into a nearly life-size lookalike cake for Streisand.
A cause of death was not revealed. In October, Streisand had asked her fans to pray for the dog who was having surgery — though the icon later explained on Instagram the surgery was cancelled.
Streisand has raved about her love for Samantha in the past. In February 2013, she told the London Guardian that Samantha often joins her and Brolin on road trips.
“She’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. She’s like the daughter I never had,” Streisand said of Samantha. “She speaks English. She understands English, I swear to God.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.