Canine star Uggie of 'The Artist' passes away (Photo : REUTERS/MARIO ANZUONI)
The canine who shot to fame in the Oscar winning movie "The Artist" has been put down at the age of 13.
The Jack Russell terrier known as Uggie stole the hearts of audiences who watched "The Artist" and, according to CNN, the dog had been suffering from a tumour that had turned cancerous in the prostate.
The owner of the celebrity dog Omar Von Mueller who is based in Los Angeles took to Facebook to announce the death of his beloved pet to followers and fans of Uggie. The soical media post was accompanied with photos of the dog with Hollywood celebrities.
In an emotional message Von Mueller said "our beloved boy has passed away" and added that he will not respond to comments from fans as the passing of his pet was too painful and will take some time to get over.
The canine had several owners before Von Mueller adopted and trained him. Therafter the dog appeared in commercials and prior to his big break in "The Artist" the dog appeared alongside Reese Witherspoon in "Water For Elephants."
In the film "The Artist" which is about the rise and eventual downfall of two Hollywood stars in the 1920s, Uggie plays the part of the loyal pet "Jack" of a silent-movie star George Valentin whose career takes a turn for the worse with the dawning of talking movies.
In one of the more memorable scenes in the movie, the dog helps the depressed Hollywood star by saving his life when he rescues him from a fire .
The film was nominated for many awards and made Uggie a regular on the red carpet. In 2012 actor Jean Dujardin, who plays the character of Valentin, in "The Artist" brought Uggie on stage at the Golden Globes.
According to the BBC, many fans of the canine campaigned to have Uggie considered for an Oscar and in 2011 the canine won the Palm Dog award, a tongue-in-cheek award for best canine actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
The celebrity pooch is the first dog to have his paw prints preserved in cement in Hollywood outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
