Diesel vom Burgimwald, the German Shepherd star of Citytv’s Hudson & Rex, has died at the age of 8.
Christina Jennings, Chairman and President of Shaftesbury, which produces the police procedural, confirmed the news on Instagram calling Diesel “a true star with an undeniable sense of majesty.”
In her post, Jennings said that Diesel’s nephews have taken over the role of the police K9 who solves crimes with detective Charlie Hudson (played by Halifax actor John Reardon) in St. John’s, N.L.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Diesel’s owner and handler, Sherri Davis, said that Diesel’s death came unexpectedly after he was diagnosed with late-stage cancer last summer while he was in the midst of shooting on the seventh season of Hudson & Rex, now airing on Citytv. After undergoing emergency surgery, Diesel died four-and-a-half weeks later.
“I shared Rex/Diesel with the world, but he shared a part of my soul. He was my partner,” Davis said. “He was with me 24-7 for seven years. He never left my side. I never went anywhere without that dog. So … it’s heartbreaking.”
Diesel’s nephews, Dillon and Dante, have taken over for him, with two of his other nephews, Is-He and Iko, performing some of Rex’s stunt work.
But Davis called Diesel “the face of the show.”
In her own message posted to teamrexk9 account, Davis said that Diesel’s memory will “live on in our hearts, memories, and on the screen.”
“Diesel appreciated all the love from the fans, and was always happy to go to the meet and greets and engage with YOU, the fans that made my boy a legend never to be forgotten,” Davis wrote. “I don’t have words that could describe the emptiness and heartbreak I feel.”
In her interview with PEOPLE after the news broke, Davis recounted how she first met Rex back in 2017.
“I asked the breeder, ‘What’s with that dog down there?’ And he said, ‘Oh, Dodo, that dog was returned. He’s no good!’” Davis recalled. “But there was something special about Diesel. I ended up taking him home that day.”
When producers were looking for a canine companion to act opposite Reardon, they visited the training centre run by Davis, who has worked in the film industry for over 30 years with animal credits in TV shows like Murdoch Mysteries, Flashpoint, American Gods and the Oscar-winning film Room.
“The producers for Hudson & Rex came out to my facility for a camera test with my dogs. One of the producers looked at Diesel immediately and said, ‘There’s Rex. Get to work!’ They did a little demo reel, and he never left my side since that day. We were together 24-7,” Davis told PEOPLE.
Davis called Diesel one of the “sweetest and kindest” dogs she’s ever worked with.
“Diesel amassed a global fan base, and people have fallen in love with him on and off screen. He visited children in the hospital, FaceTimed elderly fans as a final wish, and touched the lives of everyone on set,” Davis said.
The pup came from the same bloodline as the original Rex from the Austrian series Inspector Rex on which Hudson & Rex is based.
“Diesel is related, 15 generations apart from the original Rex overseas,” Davis told Postmedia in 2019. His bond with Reardon was instant after the two took their first car ride together.
“He was in the car singing to Diesel. Apparently, I think, it was Yellow Brick Road or something. That’s what I was told. And I think that really helped. And then it just went from there,” she said.
Davis said that his nephews, Dillon and Dante, are trying “to continue working and living up to the legacy of Diesel.”
“Fans are watching the new episodes roll out in Canada and are commenting on socials that they are noticing a difference from Diesel’s work,” Davis told PEOPLE. “These are big furry boots to fill, and his nephews are trying their hardest to bring to life more adventures with Rex!”
Hudson & Rex airs Thursdays on Citytv