Viral Puppy Bowl XXII participant Teigan died three months before the event aired ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl.
Teigan, who was part of the winning Team Fluff, became a beloved internet sensation on Sunday, February 8, when she competed with a wheelchair. (The event featured 150 dogs from 72 shelters across the United States, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, with the goal of highlighting the need for adoption.)
After the event, news broke that Teigan died in October 2025 after a battle with pneumonia.
“Teigan, my tiny little girl was so fragile and strong at the same time,” Connecticut animal sanctuary Perfect Imperfections Rescue wrote via Facebook at the time. “Born with neurological issues and a severely curved spine. When she first arrived to me she almost died from pneumonia.”
The statement continued, “She fought and survived but we knew this could be an issue for her.
The way her head bent made it harder for her to eat and swallow. We started feeding her in an upright position, burped her and watched carefully that food was not getting stuck in her throat.”
In the message, the organization noted that the day began “normal” for Teigan, who “ate, ran around a bit” and then “laid on a bed for a nap.”
“I noticed she had regurgitated,” the post read. “I picked her up and rushed her to the vet. Within an hour she could barely breathe. X-rays showed severe pneumonia. She spent the day at the vet in oxygen and IV fluids. Her breathing was very labored. I took her home and set everything up for her so she could continue getting her fluids and oxygen.”
The message explained that they checked on Teigan “every two hours to change her position and flush her catheter.”
“I started to get tail wags when I talked to her and for a moment I was hopeful she would beat this again, but knowing her little body had already suffered through this once,” the post continued. “I checked on her during every two hours. After the last check I could see she was tired, not long after that she took her last breath.”
Days before the event aired on TV, the organization shared a sneak peek of Teigan during the taping of Puppy Bowl XXII.
“It will be bittersweet to [see] her on TV,” the Facebook post read on Friday, February 6. “For those who don’t know, Teigan and I spent a day at the rescue taping a segment about Teigan, her condition and her receiving her custom cart made by K9karts.”
The message continued, “A few weeks after we had the taping we traveled to NY and participated in the puppy bowl. It was such a fun experience. We meet so many incredible people from rescues all over the USA. Spending the day in a room full of puppies was an added bonus.”
The organization encouraged fans and social media users to “please tune in and help celebrate Teigan” during Puppy Bowl XXII on Sunday.
“She was such an incredible soul,” the post concluded. “I’m not sure I will ever get over losing her so soon.”
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