British magician Piff the Magic Dragon, famed for his appearances on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and “America’s Got Talent,” has shared a touching tribute to his beloved Chihuahua and longtime performing companion, Mr. Piffles, who died on Nov. 8 at the age of 16.
“For over fifteen years, I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of being upstaged and outshone night after night by Mr Piffles,” the 44-year-old comedian, whose real name is John van der Put, said in a press release on Nov. 13.
“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.”
Born on Nov. 13, 2007, Mr. Piffles, dubbed the “World’s First Magic Performing Chihuahua,” passed away just five days shy of his 17th birthday.
The white, long-haired Chihuahua had accompanied Van der Put on stage for more than 5,000 performances, including shows at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
Mr. Piffles had also co-headlined with Van der Put for the past decade as part of the magician’s ongoing residency at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The resort plans to hold a special ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the life and legacy of the world-renowned Chihuahua.
Mr. Piffles
In a tribute video posted to YouTube on Wednesday, Van der Put—known for donning a dragon costume as part of his stage persona—recounted meeting Mr. Piffles in 2009, shortly after the comedian had performed his first hour-long show in Edinburgh, Scotland.“It didn’t really work,” Van der Put said. “About halfway through, people kind of got bored of the ‘dragon’ thing.”
In need of a gimmick “to keep people interested,” Van der Put took the advice of his publicist and brought the venue owner’s Chihuahua onto the stage with him. The performance was a success, prompting the magician to seek out his own canine sidekick.
He eventually found a Chihuahua up for sale in Dundee, Scotland, through Gumtree, the UK’s version of Craigslist.
“We went out and we found this dog, and he was a mess,” Van der Put recalled. “His coat was all matted, his eyes were covered in this brown gunk, [and] his teeth were decaying and falling out.”
The comedian said audiences quickly fell in love with the dog.
“I toured all over the UK with him. We came up together, like, all my big breaks were with him by my side, and every good thing that’s happened to me in my career he’s been a part of,” Van der Put said.
Mr. Piffles 2.0
The death of Mr. Piffles comes just days after Van der Put announced that his touring partner would be retiring from the stage.“My dear canine companion, you are truly the magic behind the show and you deserve to retire like all the great Las Vegas acts, fat and with a boat load of snacks at your side.”
Mr. Piffles was slated to perform his final show at the Flamingo Showroom on Nov. 13. “Come celebrate one legendary pup and give our sweet prince his greatest applause yet,” the comedian wrote.
Despite the loss of his furry companion, the magician will still be joined by a canine friend at future shows.
“As painful as his loss is ... a part of him will live on as he is survived by Mr. Piffles the Second, a genetically identical clone,” the press release reads. “Now two years old, the heir to Piffles’ throne ensures the legacy of this Dundonion icon will continue for many years to come.”
Van der Put claimed to have cloned Mr. Piffles earlier this year.
In July, the performer announced that the doggy doppelganger would be joining him on his latest North American tour called, “It Cost $60,000 to Clone My Dog and Now I Need to Make the Money Back.”
“I needed a dog who could do card tricks, read minds, and withstand being shot out of a cannon nightly. After a decade of fruitless searching, I gave up and googled Barbara Streisand. For the very reasonable price of an Audi Q7, I now have the dog of my dreams. Again.”
