An Icon Fades from View, but a Legacy Endures

Gidget, perhaps the dominant animal icon of this generation, passed away today at the age of 105 (Lorne Greene's calculation).

Fans of the legendary chihuaha crowded the gates of her Santa Clarita compound, where she reportedly died peacefuly; however, media and police alike are investigating allegations that the death was a homicide when her owner's car backed up too suddenly.

"She was the most gifted animal entertainer of all time," said a visibly shaken Ronald McDonald, whose fast-food rivalry with Gidget turned into a poignant friendship over the years. "She broke boundaries and blazed trails. No sane person would have owned a chihuaha or even a pug before she came along. Nothing's changed as far as that goes, really -- but you see a lot more chihuahas now."

A regionally televised memorial is scheduled for Friday at Universal Studios. City officials expect four million people and have preemptively bankrupted the city to ensure that the expected crowds have enough portapotties.

President Obama, while calling Gidget "a model for pets and fast-food spokespersons everywhere," declined to attend the memorial, saying that he is "positively swamped with this difficult business of ruining your children's future."

As the nation grieves the passing of a national treasure, some see an irony in past GOP efforts to deport Gidget, an undocumented animal found by American tourists in Ensenada and initially mistaken for a rat.

In lieu of flowers, mourners are asked to buy chalupas, on sale through Sunday.