He was a mongrel - a mix of cocker spaniel, poodle and
schnauzer.
He was rescued from the Burbank Animal Shelter by Frank Inn.
His last job was on 'Benji' the original movie in 1974.
Frank Inn, Higgins owner and trainer, made him a poem called "My gift to Jesus" after he died at age 17.
He only appeared once as 'Benji' in the original movie in 1974, not the
sequels.
Higgins' trainer, Frank Inn, died in 2002 and requested that Higgins' ashes be buried in his coffin with him. This request was not fulfilled due to legal reasons, and Higgins' ashes remained with Inn's daughters.
Before branching out to a feature film, most of his career was appearing in Paul Henning's "rural comedies" including "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Green Acres" and a steady gig on "Petticoat Junction.".