The winning team at the 2026 Puppy Bowl included a dog who had died back in October 2025, months before the event.
Teigan, a competitor for Team Fluff, died in October after falling ill with pneumonia, according to Connecticut-based sanctuary Perfect Imperfections Rescue.
The Puppy Bowl episode aired Sunday as a Super Bowl warm-up event, meaning her appearance on screen came roughly three months after her death.
Rescue confirms Teigan died before broadcast
Ahead of the Puppy Bowl, Perfect Imperfections shared a photo of Teigan taken during filming and acknowledged her death in a Facebook post.
“It will be bittersweet to [see] her on TV,” the sanctuary wrote. “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.
“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. Please tune in and help celebrate Teigan.
“She was such an incredible soul. I’m not sure I will ever get over losing her so soon.”
Teigan’s death was first announced on October 23. According to the rescue, she was born with neurological issues and a severely curved spine and had nearly died from pneumonia shortly after arriving at the sanctuary.
“She fought and survived but we knew this could be an issue for her,” the organization said. Teigan later contracted pneumonia again and was unable to recover.
This year’s matchup between Team Fluff and Team Ruff included 150 rescue dogs. Team Fluff won by 73 points to 69, while Boba was named Most Valuable Pup. Team Fluff also claimed last year’s Puppy Bowl title by a narrow margin of 68 to 66.
