Buster the trampoline dog from the 2016 John Lewis Christmas advert has died, his owner has revealed

The boxer rose to fame as the star of the 2016 John Lewis Christmas advert, but his owner ‘had to let him go’ after he began to have seizures
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Biff, the trampolining dog who played a starring role as Buster in the 2016 John Lewis Christmas advert has died. The boxer captured hearts when he was part of an advert which saw the parents surprise their daughter with a trampoline for Christmas.

Biff recently celebrated his 12th birthday earlier in November, but started to have seizures. His owner revealed, "we couldn’t bring him back from (the seizures), so we had to let him go".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The advert features a cover by Vaults of Randy Newman’s One Day I’ll Fly Away as a girl’s father begins the work on building her a trampoline for Christmas. The dog keeps a watchful eye as a whole host of animals including foxes and hedgehogs have a go on the trampoline.

The advert sees Buster have his moment on the trampoline on Christmas morning, when the girl learns of her gift. Biff’s owner, Jen Patten, said on social media: "Fly high our beautiful, special boy, we shall miss you forever.

"People say, he had a wonderful life with us, but in reality, we had a wonderful life with him. 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. 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 lost the ability to make us laugh.

"We shall miss him so much.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.