Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke has been left heartbroken by the loss of his Chihuahua cross Loki, whom he has described as "the love of my life". The beloved pooch, who The Wrestler star credits with helping him through some of his darkest times, passed away this week aged 18.
The tiny dog was Mickey's constant companion, sitting with him during interviews and accompanying him to red carpet events. When The Wrestler previewed at the Venice Film Festival in September, he flew in Loki to Italy for the screening, telling reporters: "My dog is very old and she is not going to be around for long so I want to spend every moment with her."
Animal lover Mickey - who has adopted several dogs - paid tribute to his pets when he won a Golden Globe in January. "I'd like to thank all my dogs, the ones who are here and the ones who aren't here anymore. Sometimes when a man's alone, all you've got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me," he said.