- Mark Zuckerberg's dog Beast, a rare white Puli, has died aged 14
- Beast joined Zuckerberg's family as a puppy in March 2011
- The Puli breed is ancient, Hungarian, and known for its corded coat
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg's dog, Beast, has died. He was 14.
On Monday, the Meta CEO announced Beast's death in a Facebook post. Sharing a photo of the white Hungarian sheepdog, he wrote: "Enjoy heaven, little guy."
Beast, a rare white Puli, became a familiar figure to Zuckerberg's followers since joining the family as a three-month-old puppy in March 2011. Known for his mop-like appearance and charming personality, Beast quickly grew into a social media star with millions of followers on his dedicated Facebook page.
The Puli is an ancient breed originating from Hungary, historically used for herding sheep. Characterised by a dense, corded coat resembling dreadlocks, Pulik are among the rarest dog breeds in the world.
According to the American Kennel Club, only a few dozen are registered in the US each year. White Pulik-like Beast are especially uncommon, making up just 2 per cent of the breed.
Despite their heavy coats, Pulik are agile, high-energy dogs known for their intelligence and trainability.
Zuckerberg often shared photos of Beast enjoying everyday moments, from running around in the backyard to lounging at the park with the family.
In a 2014 interview with TODAY, Priscilla Chan revealed that Beast was her husband, Mark Zuckerberg's "second priority after Facebook."
"So we have Beast, our Hungarian sheepdog," she said. "And he is so talented. He's so smart. He knows his daily schedule. He has an extracurricular activity. He goes herding. He herds sheep. And we've been told that he's quite gifted."
"He's, like, this ridiculously cute dog. He looks like a little sheep," Mark Zuckerberg said at the time. "He's amazing."