Boo, the adorable Pomeranian who captured the hearts of dog lovers everywhere, died Friday night. The internet famous dog was 12 years old.
Boo was dubbed the unofficial "World's Cutest Dog" after his owner started cataloging his furry little face and puppy antics on social media.
More than 16 million people liked and followed Boo on his Facebook page at the time of his death and had more than 500,000 followers on his Instagram.
The Facebook post announcing Boo's death reads:
Since starting Boo’s FB page, I’ve received so many notes over the years from people sharing stories of how Boo brightened their days and helped bring a little light to their lives during difficult times. And that was really the purpose of all this...Boo brought joy to people all over the world. Boo is the happiest dog I’ve ever met. He was so easy going that we never had to bother with training. He made the manliest of men squeal with delight over his cuteness and made everyone laugh with his quirky, tail wagging personality.
As of Saturday morning, more than 34,000 people had commented on the post, expressing their grief and sympathy.
"Boo was the first pup I ever followed on Facebook. He was the cutest little teddy bear of a dog ever. I am so sorry for your loss," one comment said.
Many had personal stories and connections to the pooch, like one commenter who was inspired to buy a Pomeranian because of Boo.
"I'm so sad to hear about the passing of Boo I would like to thank Boo for being my center of focus for the last 7 years fighting cancer," the comment reads. "You see, my sister went to the gift shop in the hospital and bought me a tiny Boo stuffed animal. Every time I'm in surgery Boo comes with me and is my friend. He also inspired me to get a beautiful black Pomeranian named Little Luigi who now is my service dog. Thank you Boo for being so cute and bringing so many smiles to everyone who sees you. RIP little Baby and God bless your Pommy Mommy & Daddy."
