BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of animal actor Chico the Chihuahua, best known to Broadway audiences as 'Bruiser Woods', Elle's canine companion in Legally Blonde the Musical.

Veteran animal trainer Bill Berloni revealed the news tonight in a touching tribute to the pup on social media.

Chico's remarkable story began at a dog shelter, where he was scheduled for euthanasia before being personally selected and trained by Berloni, the animal trainer behind numerous animal stage performances.

After extensive training and trust-building with the cast, Chico went on to appear in the entire Broadway run of Legally Blonde as well as numerous regional and touring productions of the show.

Chico made Broadway history as the first animal actor to conduct a 'conversation' on stage in real time with the actors. Chico leaves behind a legacy as part of the official Legally Blonde Broadway logo, as well as the taped performance of the show on MTV.

See Berloni's tribute to Chico below:

See a clip of Chico's performance here:

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