Iconic dog from John Lewis Christmas advert dies - and fans are devastated

09 November 2023 , 08:00

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Biff The Dog (Image: John Lewis/Youtube)

He brought tears to households across the country when he made his iconic TV debut on John Lewis' Christmas advert back in 2016, but trampolining dog Biff sadly died aged 12.

The boxer, who played Buster in the adorable advert seven years ago, was considered one of the best characters ever over the years of John Lewis' festive ads. Following the simple story of a devoted father setting up his daughter's trampoline in time for Christmas Day, Buster watches entranced as an assortment of animals climb out of the bushes to get onto the trampoline.

As the song One Day I'll Fly Away plays, foxes, a badger, a squirrel and a hedgehog all enjoy jumping on the toy as Buster stares, whining as he misses out on the fun. The little girl, Bridget, wakes up the next day and runs down the stairs as her dad opens the door to the trampoline, decorated with a simple red bow. But as she runs towards it, Buster is faster and leaps ahead and jumps in, looking happier than ever.

The iconic advert reduced people to tears (John Lewis/Youtube)

Biff's owner, Jen Patten, paid tribute to her beloved dog on social media as she wrote: "Fly high our beautiful, special boy, we shall miss you forever." She went on to share pictures of the dog and wrote: "One of our last photos. People say, he had a wonderful life with us, but in reality, we had a wonderful life with him.

"His fame gave us the opportunity to raise funds for animal charities. Biffy and I had a really special bond, and no matter what I asked of him, whether it would be new tricks, displays, meet and greets, or photos with children, adults, and animals, he would happily oblige, with the patience of a saint.

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"At home, he was pure joy, making us smile every day. I don’t know if you are aware but boxers are known as the clowns of the canines, and even though Biff would be professional at the right time, he never ever lost the ability to make us laugh. We shall miss him so much. In the early hours of yesterday morning, he began to have seizures, which we couldn’t bring him back from, so we had to let him go." RIP Biff!

Rose Hill