Animal Planet is planning to create an on-air "in memoriam" spot for Uggie the Dog, star of Oscar-winning silent film The Artist, who was put down at the age of 13—which would be 68 in dog years for a Jack Russell Terrier, according to Pedigree dog food calculations.
TMZ broke the news of the star's death—he had had prostate cancer—which was confirmed by Uggie's owner on Facebook
The Animal Planet tribute spot will be combined with a "call of action" encouraging viewers to adopt pets (Uggie was adopted), something the channel actively promotes, according to a channel spokesperson.
Animal Planet will also spread the word about Uggie and the importance of animal rescue via social media and will blog about him on its "bites" blog.
The channel is looking to line up a national partner for the tribute.
