A dog's life: Uggie's sniff-and-tell memoir Colombian-born Omar was on a worldwide tour to promote the film and had no time to consider my proposal. But two months later, having been hounded by literary agents and writers, he finally chose me as his author. Before I knew it, I was in downtown Los Angeles, travelling with Omar to one of Uggie's public appearances. "The Uggster," as he is known to his millions of fans, has acted with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, and been swooned over by George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Charlize Theron, Tilda Swinton and Meryl Streep. And there he was, moulting his A-lister coat all over my best black skirt. Plus, this furry thespian had no interest in confidentiality agreements and was happy for me to share his story with the rest of the world. Now aged 10, Uggie has more than 30,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter and is the subject of an ongoing global campaign to award him the first-ever animal Oscar. Weighing in at 16lb, he possesses an indescribable star quality. Wherever we went, he'd suck the air from the room with his massive terrier presence. By the simple tilting of his head or the raising of an ear, Uggie charmed all who came across him. Yet the Jack Russell's past has been dogged with disappointment. There's comedy and drama, pathos and romance; just the right mix of humility and an embarrassment of celebrity riches. Omar and Uggie first met in 2002 when the 50-year-old dog trainer rescued him just days before Uggie was due to be sent to a California pound with a reputation for putting down animals. He had been written off as a nine-month-old juvenile delinquent and too much of a handful for his owners. Omar was sure he could rehabilitate him, in spite of his rebellious exuberance. His early career was spent as a street entertainer and stand-up comic, collecting dollars in his teeth as part of an "improv" routine, before landing a few bit-parts in B-movies and advertising campaigns for everything from greetings cards to cider. His big break came in 2009 in the Hollywood movie Water for Elephants, in which he co-starred with Witherspoon. Then, a year later, Uggie was cast in The Artist and the rest is history. After stealing the show at the Golden Globes and the Oscars earlier this year, Uggie won a Pawscar - given out annually by the American Humane Society in recognition of the best animal performance - and a Golden Collar to add to his coveted Palm Dog from Cannes. Everyone from Katy Perry to Gerard Butler wanted their photo taken with him in his £40,000 Chopard bow tie. Vanity Fair named him the best-dressed star of the Oscars, and this summer Uggie became the first dog in the history of Hollywood to be invited to cast his paw prints in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In celebration, the City of Los Angeles declared June 26 "Uggie Day," and there are moves afoot to get him his own star on Hollywood Boulevard. He was also guest of honour at the 2012 White House Correspondents" dinner, when he was joined by the likes of General Colin Powell, Goldie Hawn and Kevin Spacey. He will appear at this year's Hollywood Christmas Parade and at the famous Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day. Lassie? Go home. It isn't all a walk in the park, though. At the peak of Uggie's career, he was diagnosed with a neurological condition that makes his body tremble. It doesn't cause him pain, but it makes close-ups difficult. Keen-eyed fans can spot glimpses of what is known as "Little White Shakers Syndrome" in The Artist, in which the problem first became apparent. Devoted to his rescue pooch, Omar felt he had no choice but to have Uggie neutered - to avoid possible prostate problems - then to semi-retire him. Now, he only takes on small movie roles. He was much feted for his scene-stealing cameo in Will Ferrell's latest movie, The Campaign. And he's done several commercials, with the proviso that he has his own air-conditioned trailer. He recently toured the US, then he wowed Paris, and finally stole the limelight from the likes of Robbie Williams and Paul O'Grady on The Graham Norton Show last weekend. Wherever I went with Uggie, be it Times Square, the Champs-Elysées, or Piccadilly, I felt proud to hold his leash. Ours was a brief encounter on his walkies to stardom, but The Uggster will always occupy a special place in my heart. Uggie, The Artist: My Story" (Harper Collins) is available from Telegraph Books at £9.99 + £1.10 p&p.