The death of actress Pamela Anderson's dog left a lasting impact on her life, says one of her family friends.

The actress has sons Brandon and Dylan, and was left devastated following the death of pet dog Jo.

`Jo had health problems and when Pam watched him pass away, it made her realise how short and fragile life is. After losing him, she began to change things in her own life because she wants to be there for her children.

"Pamela doesn't ever want them to feel the way that she felt when she lost Jo," a family friend told radaronline.com.

Jo was adopted by Anderson in 2007 shortly after the death of Star, her golden retriever that she had for nearly 17 years.

"Pamela considered Jo to be a part of her family,` said her close friend.

Anderson had confirmed the news of her dog's death via her Facebook page in September.

`He still feels close... even closer somehow," she had said.