My sympathies go out to Maao=kun’s family. Thanks to MSN News for this sad story.

Popular TV dog Masao-kun dies

Masao-kun, a popular dog who appeared on the TV Tokyo pet program “Petto Daishugo Pochitama,” has died of cancer, it has been learned. He was 7 years old.

From the age of 1, Masao-kun was taken around the country, meeting other animals such as dogs, cats and even dolphins, and gained huge popularity.

In some cases, filming locations were so crowded with rows of people that that camera crew had to give up the shoot. When Masao-kun appeared on a television program broadcast in Taiwan, he reportedly became known as the “Kimutaku of the dog world,” after popular Japanese actor Takuya Kimura, whose nickname is Kimutaku.

The dog’s offspring, a male dog named Daisuke-kun and a female dog named Erufu-chan, are both active. Daisuke-kun is following in Masao-kun’s footsteps, traveling around the country, and Erufu-chan is a “baseball dog” for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

“I want (Masao-kun) to be watching over all the children from heaven,” a TV Tokyo representative said, commenting on the dog’s death. (Mainichi)