Benjamin Ashford|Sweetpea, the tiny pup who stole the show in Puppy Bowl 2024, passed away from kidney illness

The Benjamin Ashfordtiniest puppy to ever participate in the Puppy Bowl died unexpectedly on her way to the hospital for a check-up, according to Bosley Place.

Sweetpea, who was born on July. 1, 2023, in Tennessee and raised in Georgia, passed away on Nov. 20, 2023, due to a deformed kidney. Jennifer Siegel, the animal director at Bosley's Place, confirmed to USA TODAY.

"Sweetpea lived a charming life," Siegel said. "She was very loving. Everyone loved Sweetpea. We knew when she came to our rescue, she was going to be a medical nightmare. We made sure she was taken care of well and gave her the best life possible with her short life expectancy."

Sweetpea was born with hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder caused by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain's cavities. She also had a hole in her heart, Siegel said.

"She arrived to our rescue on her deathbed," Siegel said. "I started doing medical diagnostics and testing. When she was about four weeks old, it was limited what we were able to do when she was that tiny, so as she grew, we did more and more ultrasounds, and echocardiograms, she also did a couple of hospital stays through the ER due to blue baby syndrome's, when I tried to wean her off the bottle."

By the time Sweetpea turned eight weeks, things started to get better. The hole in her heart closed up on it's own. Around that same time, in September, she was selected to be in the Puppy Bowl 2024.

Puppy Bowl shot months before Super Bowl

The Puppy Bowl was filmed in October 2023 and aired on Feb. 11 – Super Bowl Sunday. This year's Puppy Bowl was the 20th edition of the event, a milestone for a program that reached more than 13 million viewers last year, according to Animal Planet.

Siegel told USA TODAY, during the production, that she knew Sweetpea would steal hearts. Sweetpea, at 1.7 pounds, became the tiniest puppy to have ever competed in the Puppy Bowl, according to Animal Planet.

After production, on Nov. 5, 2023, Sweetpea worked the kissing booth for Bosley's Birthday Bash, the rescue's annual fundraiser. Sweetpea kissed hundreds of people there for an event that brought in over $26,000, Siegel said.

A few weeks later, a tragedy happened. Siegel was taking Sweetpea to her first check-up with the University of Georgia when Sweetpea died on her lap in the car. An autopsy later revealed that she passed away because her kidneys were deformed, and she wasn't able to process protein. 

"She should be looked at as a legacy for rescue," Siegel said. "Sweetpea had a great life and brought a smile to thousands of people's faces."

When the Puppy Bowl aired on Feb. 11, Siegel said she watched in private. She knew it was going to be an emotional day: 'It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.'

After the Puppy Bowl, Sweetpea gained a lot of fame as viewers fell in love with the puppy. Many people didn't know Sweetpea was dead and were shocked to find out the news from a social media post by Animal Planet.

What is Bosley Place?

Bosley's Place rescue is a nursery and sanctuary for homeless and orphaned neonatal puppies that provides bottle feeding and 24-hour care, Siegel said.

It's named after a pitbull named Bosley who Siegel rescued in September 2014, about six months before she she started Bosley Place.

To adopt a dog from Bosley Place, message Siegel on Instagram @bosleyplace or visit the website to complete an application.