The Internet's Beloved Marnie the Dog Dies 'Painlessly & Peacefully' at 18, Her Owner Says

Marnie, the adorable Shih Tzu whose abnormally long tongue and tilted face made her a beloved internet celebrity — and a favorite of more than one actual celebrity — died Thursday at her owner’s home. She was 18.

In an emotional post, Marnie’s owner, Shirley Braha, updated her 1.8 million followers with the news that Marnie had “passed away painlessly & peacefully” after her “comfort had been notably declining over the past few days.”

Braha explained that the famed dog “let me know she had had enough” and “enjoyed her chicken until the very end.”

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View this post on Instagram It is with much grief I share the news that Marnie passed away painlessly & peacefully in my home on Thursday afternoon at the age of 18. Her comfort had been notably declining over the past few days with little hope for improvement and she let me know she had had enough. She enjoyed her chicken until the very end. Thank you for joining me on an unexpected journey with the ultimate love of my life. All I can feel right now is loss but beneath that I have so much gratitude. I’m grateful to the universe for entrusting me with her beautiful soul and providing me with the perfect best friend and companion. Im grateful I was able to give this magical creature the fun and deeply loving life she wanted and deserved. 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. Most of all, I’m amazed that the sweet little hot mess of a pup that I picked up from a shelter at age 11, who at first didn’t seem like she would be around very long at all, has managed to inspire others to adopt senior dogs. When I hear from people that Marnie has made them adopt their senior dogs it’s truly the most beautiful legacy she and I could hope to leave in this world. The night of her passing I had a dream where I watched her awake from her death like it hadn’t happened at all, and she was running around at a party completely happy and invincible. She approached a descending staircase and I wanted to interject to protect her from falling, but she sailed right down the stairs and landed on her feet and stopped and looked at me and laughed and just kept going. Maybe this was a message from her from heaven, but at minimum I can take solace knowing that for a long stretch of time, prior to her aging body taking its toll, heaven for her was right here on earth. Marnie will be buried in a pet cemetery in LA and hopefully there will be a public memorial gathering whenever safe (due to Coronavirus).

A post shared by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on Mar 7, 2020 at 12:33pm PST

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After adopting Marnie — formerly named “Stinky,” due to her smell before being rescued, according to The New York Times — Braha had no intention of her pet becoming a social media sensation, let alone living for nearly two decades.

Not only has Marnie has touched the hearts of millions online, her owner explained that she also opened doors for other senior dogs to be adopted.

“Most of all, I’m amazed that the sweet little hot mess of a pup that I picked up from a shelter at age 11, who at first didn’t seem like she would be around very long at all, has managed to inspire others to adopt senior dogs,” Braha wrote on Instagram.

“When I hear from people that Marnie has made them adopt their senior dogs it’s truly the most beautiful legacy she and I could hope to leave in this world,” she added.

View this post on Instagram Thinking of u @ddlovato

A post shared by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on Jul 24, 2018 at 5:41pm PDT

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Since going viral at the age of 12, Marnie had the chance to meet tons of stars, including (but definitely not limited to) Betty White, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Tina Fey.

The pup-fluencer even earned herself a book deal, and in 2015 she was named the Most Famous American Dog on Instagram by the New Yorker.

View this post on Instagram Chillin w my gal Betty W

A post shared by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on Jan 28, 2015 at 3:18pm PST

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While Braha is mourning the loss of her furry friend, she shared, “All I can feel right now is loss but beneath that I have so much gratitude. I’m grateful to the universe for entrusting me with her beautiful soul and providing me with the perfect best friend and companion. Im grateful I was able to give this magical creature the fun and deeply loving life she wanted and deserved.”

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She added: “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.”

View this post on Instagram A lovely cheese pizza just 4 me

A post shared by Marnie The Dog (@marniethedog) on Mar 20, 2017 at 1:31pm PDT

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According to Braha’s post, Marnie will be buried in a pet cemetery in her native home of Los Angeles.

As the international community continues to grapple with the novel coronavirus outbreak, Braha said she hopes to hold a “public memorial gathering whenever safe.”