'Artist' star Uggie the dog announces his retirement

Someone appears to be taking their Oscar snub a little hard. Despite a critically-acclaimed performance and a fan-generated campaign for Academy recognition, Uggie, the scene-stealing Jack Russell Terrier from The Artist, has announced his retirement.

"He may do a couple of little things here and there because he enjoys them, but I don't want to put him through long hours anymore." his trainer Omar Von Muller told Life & Style magazine. "He's getting tired."

According to his trainer, Uggie will retire from filmmaking.

As Uggie makes his way out of the spotlight, a newcomer is being groomed to take his place: his brother, Dash. "I think he will be fine with Dash stepping in," Von Muller admitted. "Uggie is 10 years old and has done a lot of work; he wants to relax at home. If somebody wants to do a movie with Uggie, they'll just have to deal with Dash."

Luckily for fans, Uggie might have the energy for a grand finale on the movie industry's biggest stage: the Oscars. "I hope he gets to go," Van Muller said. "They should give him an envelope to bring to Billy Crystal."

3 Fun Facts About Uggie:

According to Wikipedia, Uggie was rejected by his first two owners as being too wild. He was about to be sent to a dog pound, but was adopted by Von Muller, who only intended to foster the dog while he found it a new home; ultimately he decided that Uggie should stay.

His first named role, and big break, was as "Queenie" in Water for Elephants, alongside Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, and Christoph Waltz.

Uggie won the Palm Dog Award for best performance by a canine at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, for his role in The Artist. The film is nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Uggie also has two Golden Collar Award nominations.

Speaking of Oscar nominees, it was difficult to miss Jessica Chastain in 2011. The actress starred in more than six films last year, including The Tree of Life, The Debt, and Take Shelter. She is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Helpand is the apparent owner of a three-legged pooch. Check WebVet.com for the full story.