Mr. Piffles’ 17th birthday party and career sendoff is now a celebration of life.
The chihuahua sidekick of Piff the Magic Dragon died Friday, the comic magician announced Tuesday. The loss was felt throughout the production. Mr. Piffles performed more than 5,000 shows internationally and around 3,000 in Las Vegas. Last Wednesday was his final night on stage.
Piff’s Stabile Productions team and his performing partner and fiance, Showgirl Jade Simone, had planned to formally close Mr. Piffles’ career Wednesday night at Flamingo Showroom. Instead, a ceremony toasting Mr. Piffles is planned for the hotel, with the opening of Mr. Piffles’ Magical Playground dog-friendly space.
In a statement, Piff, legal name of John van der Put, remembered the lean years with his tiny companion.
“ “For over 15 years I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of being upstaged and outshone night after night by Mr Piffles,” van der Put said. “He came into my life when I had nothing, and set me on the path to a career I could only dream of. In the beginning, I may have rescued him, but in the end, he rescued me.”
“AGT” execs fondly recalled the unique bond the pooch had with the live audience and TV viewers.
“Mr. Piffles graced our stage with his unique charm and indifference, embodying one of the greatest canine talents to ever perform on AGT,” America’s Got Talent Executive Producer Sam Donnelly said. “He was loved by everyone who saw his act, and his partnership with Piff was a truly magical bond that will forever leave a lasting impact on our hearts.”
Mr. Piffles likely performed more shows than any non-human in Las Vegas, outside of Siegfried & Roy’s white tigers. He appeared before tens of millions of fans of “America’s Got Talent,” when Piff famously “lost” the competition as a finalist in 2015. Mr. Piffles was also in the act when Piff premiered on “Penn & Teller’s Fool Us.”
Mr. Piffles was the only canine – and only animal – ever awarded the Key to the Las Vegas Strip.
Mr. Piffles was brought into the act when van der Put was premiering his dragon-suited character at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2009. The comic magician needed a “gimmick,” as he recalled, and borrowed a pet chihuahua from the woman who ran the venue. The bit worked, and van der Put found his own doggie online.
Mr. Piffles was the product of neglectful pet parenting, “A cowering mass of matted fur, rotted teeth and goopy, gunk-stained eyes.”
But the dog took to the act, in a minimalist sort of way, his deadpan demeanor drawing laughs as Piff worked his magic.
Van der Put has recently worked Mr. Piffles’ replacement into the act. The dog is also as Mr. Piffles, or Mr. Piffles 2.0, or Fourtune. That name refers to the $60,000 van der Put paid to have Mr. Piffles cloned.
The replacement can only hope to have such a fruitful life. Though supplanted by a version of himself, there was only one Mr. Piffles.
Piff is performing a Max Verstappen tribute as he plays out the string w/@thepiff @FlamingoVegas … @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/PESZmj0ONU
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) November 4, 2024
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.