Marnie, a dirty Shih Tzu shelter dog with a long tongue who rose to fame and became a symbol for adopting older pets, died Thursday. She was 18.
Marnie essentially died of old age, her owner, Shirley Braha, told The New York Times.
Braha adopted Marnie from a Connecticut shelter in 2012. Braha had never had a pet before but saw a picture of the dirty pooch and had to have her. She named her after musician Marnie Stern.
The dog with the long, rolling tongue became a hit on social media, garnering 1.8 million followers and posing in pictures with celebrities, including Seth Rogen, Katy Perry, Tina Fey and Betty White.
Marnie was named the most famous American dog on Instagram in 2015 by The New Yorker. She even had a book deal.
“Marnie knew that she was famous and she absolutely loved it,” Braha told The Times. “She loved it when crowds would form around her. She would do little dances. She would pose. I never trained her to do it. She just looked straight at the camera and stayed still and gave everyone the most perfect selfies that they wanted. She was a pro.”
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