Dog that ran half marathon dies from heart attack - New York Daily News

A dog that crashed a half marathon race in Indiana — earning him a medal for its remarkable completion — has died two weeks after word of his runaway tale launched him into an international media sensation.

Beloved chocolate lab, Boogie Butts, who was recognized as the world's first dog to complete a half marathon without the assistance of a human, suffered a heart attack last week, his family announced Wednesday.

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Boogie, at 10 years old, was described as having a history of escaping when he joined the Evansville 13.1 mile race on Oct. 5 and completed exactly 13 miles of it in two hours and 15 min, his owner Jerry Butts said.

The animal had escaped from his home and managed to run 13 miles in about two hours and 15 minutes.

WFIE


The animal had escaped from his home and managed to run 13 miles in about two hours and 15 minutes.



The time on four legs outpaced 1,128 of the registered participants who ran beside him, not knowing who the happy dog belonged to, the Courier Press reports.

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It was only after Boogie crossed the finish line and was taken to an animal shelter that his owner found him and learned all about Boogie's big day.

"He loved every minute of the attention," his owner Jerry Butts wrote in a Facebook message to Boogie's fans Wednesday, one day after the dog's death.

Boogie was 10 years old and became a sensation after completing the race.

WFIE


Boogie was 10 years old and became a sensation after completing the race.



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"You know him as the first dog thought to have completed a half marathon unassisted, but to me and my sons, he was our companion, our watchdog, and a member of our family," he further wrote. "Boogie was a rascal and he went out the way he wanted, by being a little mischievous and not being too shy to soak up the glory."

After Boogie’s last house break, Jerry Butts said he planned to have him neutered to possibly help prevent future urges from the dog to escape.

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ngolgowski@nydailynews. com

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