He bounced into our lives in November 2016 as the star of the famous John Lewis Christmas TV ad, but sadly Biff the trampolining Boxer has died aged 12 leaving his family heartbroken and a legion of fans in tears.
In a tribute to the dog actor, Biff's owner Jan Patten, said: "Fly high our beautiful, special boy, we shall miss you forever. Every Boxer should have a trampoline."
The 2016 John Lewis ad was named the world’s biggest Christmas TV ad on YouTube beating rivals from the UK, Germany and Brazil. The retailer’s £7m campaign came top in an-all British top three that also included Burberry and Sainsbury’s.
Read more: 100 strangers spend 100 hours searching for lost dog
The campaign, which saw the Buster character and friends playing on a trampoline attracted more than 21m global views on the video site. But Jan explained to Biff's fans across social media that he has been much more than a big bouncing pup and a TV star. With his gentle personality and great patience, Biff had helped raise money for many charities and awareness for the breed.
She said: "Biff was a very much loved family member, and everyone that met him loved him too. 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.
"At home, he was pure joy, making us smile every day. 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."
And it was his ability to make people laugh that clinched him the job in the first place and at six years old, Biff unexpectedly found world-wide fame. Jan had spotted an ad seeking a dog for filming and organisers knew they had hit on gold then they saw the images and videos of Biff with his natural exuberance and personality.
But Jan had no idea that her beloved pet would become a global sensation with the release of the John Lewis Christmas ad, and having signed a non-disclosure agreement not to talk about his work until after the ad aired shortly before Christmas, even her friends were stunned by his appearance and the heart-warming ad.
Biff, known in the ad as Buster, became an instant hit in the story of his owner, a little girl named Bridget who loves to jump. Set to a cover version of 'One Day I'll Fly Away', the child's parents buy her a trampoline and work through the night to build it before hiding it in the garden to surprise her with it on Christmas Day.
As the snow falls in the evening, a host of animals including foxes, a badger, a squirrel and a hedgehog start bouncing on the trampoline as the boxer watches them through the window. The next morning Bridget sprints out to use her new toy for the first time only to find bouncing Buster gets there first.
To date it remains the most watched Christmas TV ad and Biff later made appearances on the Big Fat Quiz of the Decade in 2020 and also starred in Hollywood film Show Dogs at the iconic Pinewood Studios. With old age catching up on him, he retired two years ago but continued to live an active life with the family.
Last year Jan revealed Biff's trampolining days had come to an end and he was having weekly hydrotherapy, laser treatment and physiotherapy. A year ago, Jan told CyrmuOnLine: " He still loves to run and jump on his walks, but we are trying to hold him back in that direction, because his back legs are not as strong as they were, but his mind doesn't understand that.
"He is having weekly hydrotherapy, laser treatment and physio to help delay any problems that might show themselves in the future. Definitely no more bouncing on the trampoline.”
In the end all the love and dedicated gave the family and other 12 months together, and Biff passed away 12 days after his twelfth birthday on November 24 with his family by his side in Daventry, Northamptonshire.
Jan explained: "In the early hours of the morning, he began to have seizures which we couldn't bring him back from so we had to let him go. People are saying that he had a wonderful life with us, but our view on it is that we had a wonderful life with him.'
Fans of Biff have sent thousands of messages of condolence and support to Jan and the family using the #bustertheboxer hashtag.
READ NEXT:
To get the latest dog news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter
