TV star dog dies of cancer
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Sang-geun
By Kwon Ji-youn
Sang-geun, a Pyrenean mountain dog who rose to stardom after his appearance on KBS TV’s variety show “1 Night 2 Days,” died Friday.
The nation’s most famous dog has been suffering from necrotizing mastocytoma, a type of round-cell tumor.
Sang-geun, whose actual name was Herby, was born on April 16, 2004 and first appeared on the variety show in 2007. He has since appeared in numerous dramas and commercials.
His owner, Lee Woong-jong, CEO of the Esac Training School for Dogs, announced his death on his animal welfare website Friday.
“I was prepared for it because we had been aware of the diagnosis, but I didn’t expect him to go so soon,” Lee told The Korea Times Monday. “They told me he had six months (to live), and he seemed fine. We even went on a trip recently.”
Sang-geun had been particular to Lee. As a puppy, Sang-geun accompanied Lee on visits to clinics, where the two would help those suffering from depression or similar symptoms. According to Lee, Sang-geun was especially friendly to such patients.
“He later became a ‘spokesdog’ for animal rights by taking part in campaigns,” he added.
Celebrities who came to care for the dog grieved his death.
Comedian Ji Sang-ryeol, who had given Sang-geun his stage name, expressed his condolences on his social networking site, as did actress Clara. Clara and Sang-geun took part in a joint photo shoot to help abandoned dogs.
Sang-geun’s funeral took place on Saturday at the Angel Stone in Gimpo, where more than 50 fans turned up to say their goodbyes.