Carrie Fisher's dog Gary breaks fans' hearts with poignant farewell message

Carrie Fisher's pet dog, a French bulldog named Gary, is something of a celebrity in his own right.

After accompanying his owner on numerous outings - including red carpet appearances and even a trip to the White House - the dog has built up a large following on social media, with 39,000 Twitter followers and 70,000 fans on Instagram.

After Ms Fisher was admitted to hospital last Friday following a heart attack, a picture of Gary looking out of a window appeared on his Twitter account, along with the caption: "I'll be waiting right here mommy."

I'll be waiting right here mommy. #CarrieFisher @carrieffisher #princessleia pic.twitter.com/sfwVBCBvUE

— Gary Fisher (@Gary_TheDog) December 24, 2016

After news broke that the Star Wars star had died in hospital, the account posted: "Saddest tweets to tweet. Mommy is gone. I love you @carrieffisher."

A subsequent tweet showed Gary still waiting at the window:

I'll still be waiting for you....... pic.twitter.com/ef461OcqKJ

— Gary Fisher (@Gary_TheDog) December 27, 2016

Ms Fisher, who spoke frankly about living with bipolar disorder, obtained the animal as a therapy dog.

In a 2013 interview with the Chicago Herald Tribune she said: "Gary is mental also. My mother says Gary is a hooligan. Gary is like my heart. Gary is very devoted to me and that calms me down. He's anxious when he's away from me."

View this post on Instagram

At the museum with my mom 🐶❤️ #garyfisher #garyinlondon2016 #garytravelstheworld #victoriaandalbertmuseum

A post shared by Gary Fisher the Dog (@garyfisher) on May 6, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

Ms Fisher was a supporter of animal rights group PETA, which issued a statement following her death saying: "It was the love of her dog, Gary, that helped her cope with her bipolar disorder.

"She proved her devotion to dogs in need in June of this year, when she joined a demonstration outside London's Chinese embassy to call for a ban on the country's annual Yulin dog-eating festival, in which thousands of dogs and cats are bludgeoned or even skinned alive before being butchered for meat."

"These poor dogs need us to fight for them," Fisher was reported by PETA as saying. "Every single one of them is as precious as my dear Gary, every one of them is someone's best friend."

"Fisher," PETA added, "will always be remembered for her sensational talent, passion and honesty as well as her love for her dog and dedication to helping others."

I was always by your side but best of all you were always by mine. #RIPCarrie pic.twitter.com/QgeOYdmmH2

— Gary Fisher (@Gary_TheDog) December 28, 2016