Oprah Winfrey's dog dies of kidney failure

Oprah Winfrey's 13-year-old Cocker Spaniel, Sophie, has died of kidney failure.

A source at the talk show Queen's Harpo production company told Celebrity Dog Watcher: "Everyone here is really sad.

"Sophie was truly part of the Harpo family as well as Oprah's."

In last December's issue of O magazine, Winfrey, 54, wrote about Sophie's condition, saying that she and her longterm partner Stedman Graham were "preparing for the inevitable."

The pair - who have been together since 1986 - have another Cocker Spaniel, Solomon.

In May last year, they lost their beloved Golden Retriever, Gracie, who chocked to death on a ball.

Gracie "did more living in two years than most dogs do in 12," Winfrey wrote of the dog's death last year, adding, "This dog lived every moment as though it were her last.

"Her life was a gift to me," she added. "Her death, a greater one."

Winfrey also said she "got the message" to slow down and catch her breath when Gracie died.

"I don't believe in accidents," she said. "I know for sure that everything in life happens to help us live."