Tragedy for British star due to make history by performing with his own clone

Just last week The Mirror revealed Dundee rescue dog and America's Got Talent star Mr Piffles was to retire as a longtime Las Vegas headliner - by performing alongside his replacement... his very own clone. But now poor Mr Piffles won't get his final bow wow but he is being honoured with a very unusual monument

A UK superstar dog has tragically passed away - just days before he was due to become the first performer to share a stage with his very own clone.

Mr Piffles - a Las Vegas show headliner, beloved canine conjuror and faithful companion to Piff the Magic Dragon - has died just shy of his 17th birthday.

The news is even more heartbreaking given that globe trotting rescue Piffles, who died on Friday, was due to be officially retiring from his Flamingo Hotel and Casino show today.

That achievement was to be marked with the opening of The Mr Piffles Magical Playground pet relief area - even featuring a water feature of the four legged star cocking his leg.

Instead the Flamingo will hold a special ceremony on today “celebrating the life and legacy of Mr Piffles with the opening of the Magical Playground. Owner and America’s Got Talent star Piff, real name John Van Der Put, and others will speak about his pet pal’s astonishing journey from a Dundee dog sanctuary to trekking the world as a magical companion on what would have been his 17th birthday.

Brokenhearted John said: “For over fifteen years I’ve had the privilege and the pleasure of being upstaged and outshone night after night by Mr Piffles.

“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.

“I was just crashing and burning because I was this kind of grumpy guy in a regular suit and it just didn't work.

“But after I found the dragon suit and Mr Piffles everything changed.

“I would never thought what I've done is possible - a headlining show in Las Vegas and the longest ever British magician to headline Vegas, playing the room that Donnie and Marie were playing for 11 years and.absolute legends like Tom Jones have played this room.

“That's all because that dog helped me come up with this act.”

The park will celebrate “Piffles doing what he did best - his business, watering plants and grass”

In recent weeks Piffles made headlines when John decided to clone him to create a replacement allowing his pal to retire after 15 years and 5,000 performances.

Award winning star John paid over £47k ($60k) to have scientists use DNA to create a doppelgänger named Fortune, or Mr Piffles 2.0, who’s successful been trained to take over.

The clone headliner meant the pair made Sin City and showbiz history as the first clone headliner talent.

John revealed: “I couldn't make Mr Piffles live forever, but with Fortune I still have a piece of him . Nothing’s ever going to replace Piffles because you just can't replace that attachment.”

Known to millions as the World’s Only Magic Performing Chihuahua™, Piffles captured the hearts of fans with his show stealing appearances on AGT, Penn & Teller: Fool Us and many more.

A Las Vegas residency followed swiftly afterwards and for the past decade he has performed nightly at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino to unprecedented critical and commercial acclaim, even receiving the Key to the Las Vegas Strip, the only animal to receive the honour.

Born a pedigree Chihuahua to a questionable breeder and sold to a family who couldn't properly take care of him, salvation came when he landed in the lap of a desperate man in a dragon suit.

Needing a hail Mary to make his morose magic act commercially viable, Piff the Magic Dragon had borrowed a friend’s Chihuahua, which turned out to be such a hit he was seeking his own. Greeted by a cowering mass of matted fur, rotted teeth and goopy, gunk-stained eyes, little could he have guessed that this dog would make him a star.

John recalled rescuing Piffles through a Gumtree ad in Dundee after deciding a dog would aid his deadpan comedic magic shows. While “being a nightmare off stage”, even growling at kids, he was a “complete pro” in the spotlight. Piffles even helped John get over his divorce as “it was like a weirder version of the movie Turner and Hooch.”

After the pair were inseparable working through clubs and corporate gigs to grow their brand.

They rose rapidly through the ranks of the British comedy club circuit, until a seven-minute spot on primetime television catapulted them to Las Vegas.

While the road continued to be rocky, an audition for America’s Got Talent would change everything. As Howard Stern went from an eye roll to standing ovation, so too did audiences and when they left the show it was with a new army of fans and a slew of bookings across North America.

“Mr Piffles graced our stage with his unique charm and indifference, embodying one of the greatest canine talents to ever perform on AGT,” said Sam Donnelly, America’s Got Talent Executive Producer. “He was loved by everyone who saw his act, and his partnership with Piff was a truly magical bond that will forever leave a lasting impact on our hearts.”

Mr Piffles would perform with Piff at venues ranging from Radio City Music Hall to Shakespeare’s Globe, as well as opening for Mumford and Sons and shared the stage with Shania Twain. In 2024 the pair were named The Magic Castle Magician of the Year.

As painful as his loss is, however, a part of him will live on as he is survived by Mr Piffles the Second, a genetically identical clone. Now two years old, the heir to Piffles’ throne ensures the legacy of this Dundonion icon will continue for many years to come.