Uggie, the canine star of hit Hollywood movies The Artist and Water for Elephants, has died. The scene-stealing dog was 13 years old and suffering from a prostate tumour when he was put to sleep on Friday (August 7th) in Los Angeles, his owner Omar Von Muller has said.

TMZ had broken the story late on Tuesday before von Muller, an animal trainer by profession, posted on Facebook to confirm the sad news. “We regret to inform to all our friends, family and Uggie's fans that our beloved boy has passed away.”

UggieUggie the dog, star of 'The Artist', has died at the age of 13

He also said that he hadn’t planned to reveal the news for a few days, but that the reports had forced his hand. “In short, Uggie had a cancerous tumour in the prostate and is now in a better place not feeling pain. Thank you for your support.”

Uggie, a Jack Russell terrier, was rescued as a puppy by von Muller from a life in a dog pound in 2002, who raised him for a life in show business. He starred in many commercials before landing major roles in period drama Water for Elephants and, most memorably, in the Oscar-winning silent movie homage The Artist in 2011, where he played the faithful, scene-stealing pet of George Valentin whose film career nosedives with the advent of talking pictures.

The movie won five Oscars the following year, and Uggie himself was honoured with the ‘Palm Dog’ award at the Cannes Film Festival. He also became the first dog to leave his paw prints outside Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, and ‘wrote’ a memoir entitled ‘Uggie, The Artist: My Story’.

His retirement was announced in 2012, but his IMDb profile shows that he has enjoyed the occasional role subsequently in TV. Another trainer, Sarah Clifford, who worked with Uggie paid tribute to the furry star, describing him as a “perfect little terrier” and saying “I will forever hold him dearly in my heart and never forget his infinite love for chicken and hotdogs.”

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