The Internet’s Favorite Shih Tzu, Marnie The Dog, Dies At 18

Marnie, the internet’s beloved Instagram Shih Tzu, has died at the age of 18, reports E! News.

On Saturday afternoon Marnie’s owner, Shirley Braha, shared the devastating news on the official Marnie the Dog Instagram page. She said that the Shih Tzu had passed away painlessly and peacefully on Thursday afternoon. Braha added that the dog died in her home. It sounds like she had a veterinarian come to her home to put the dog to sleep so that she could be in the comfort of her long-time home in her final moments.

Braha wrote that Marnie’s health and comfort had been on a steady decline for a little while now, with not much hope for improvement. Eventually, it got to a point where it seemed Marnie was struggling to do much at all and she let Braha know when “she had had enough.”

“She enjoyed her chicken until the very end,” wrote Braha.

Braha went on to thank Marnie’s numerous fans and supporters. She said Marnie would be buried in a pet cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

“I’m thankful I was chosen to be the conduit for Marnie to bring joy into the world. And I’m thankful for all the human and dog friends Marnie and I made along the way, and the strangers on the streets and on the internet, who have shown us so much love.”

She wrapped up her caption by saying she would like to hold a public memorial for Marnie but is not sure when that would be. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Braha wants to play it safe and wait until things die down before orchestrating a crowded event.

According to E! News, Braha adopted Marnie from a shelter back in 2012 when she was 11 years old. Marnie’s popularity encouraged lots of pet owners to adopt senior dogs.

In her photo caption, Braha said that increased adoptions, especially of older dogs who often get neglected, “is the most beautiful legacy [Marnie] and I could hope to leave in this world.”

One reason the Shih Tzu became so famous online is thanks to her adorable tilted head and lolling tongue. Over the years, Marnie’s Instagram page accumulated more than 1.8 million followers.

The person who runs the official Doug the Pug account, commented, “We are so sorry. Marnie was so special and brought so much love to the world. Thank you for sharing her with us.”

Per an older article from Pop Sugar, Marnie the Dog was loved by numerous celebrities, including Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Jonah Hill, Laverne Cox, Usher, Betty White, Kat Dennings, and many more.