Mickey Rourke's dog, Loki, dead at 18

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Mickey Rourke's publicist has confirmed the Hollywood actor's beloved 18-year-old Chihuahua, Loki, died this week.

Rourke, who has been enjoying a career comeback and Oscar nomination thanks to his lead role in "The Wrestler," famously thanked his dogs for standing by him in darker days in his Golden Globe acceptance speech last month.

"I'd like to thank all my dogs, the ones who are here and the ones who aren't here anymore," Rourke said. "Sometimes, when a man is alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me."

Rourke's representative confirmed to E! News Tuesday that Loki died Monday night.

The tough-guy actor was photographed walking the red carpet with Loki at the Venice Film Festival in September. He described the little pooch then as the "love of my life."

Rourke again mentioned his dogs in an interview for Barbara Walters' upcoming Oscars special.

"I sort of self-destructed and everything came out about 14 years ago or so ... the wife had left, the career was over, the money was not an ounce," he said. "The dogs were there when no one else was there."