The social media world is in mourning after the sudden death of Raffie, a beloved bulldog who became a famous influencer through his owner's popular accounts. The tragic incident occurred the day before Christmas, while his owner, Maren Peeters, was on a trip in Austria.
A Devastating Call From Daycare
Peeters, who runs the TikTok account @bundleofbullies with 1.5 million followers and an Instagram following of 693,000, confirmed the news on Wednesday. In an emotional video shared on Thursday, she explained she received a devastating call from the doggie daycare informing her that Raffie had suffered a fatal heart attack.
"I never imagined that I would have to make this video," a tearful Peeters began. She had left all of her rescue bulldogs at their usual daycare facility while she was out of town. However, this time, the staff informed her of a terrible incident involving Raffie, another of her dogs named Pickles, and a third dog.
Fight Leads to Cardiac Arrest and Critical Injuries
The daycare told Peeters that Raffie and Pickles had been in a fight. During the altercation, Raffie fell unconscious from a heart attack. While the daycare owner attempted CPR, the situation escalated further.
Peeters explained that Pickles wanted to 'attack further', prompting another of her bulldogs, Odin, to step in. Odin, described as Raffie's 'best friend', intervened to protect him but was severely injured in the process and had to be rushed to a veterinary clinic.
In a subsequent Instagram post, Peeters shared that Odin is now "close to death" and requires treatment estimated to cost €5,000.
Heartbreak and a Rush Home
Overcome with grief, Peeters cried about how much she misses her 'best friend' Raffie, stating she "cannot live without him." She was quick to add, "Let's be clear, they never do anything like that when they're with me."
Immediately upon receiving the news, Peeters booked the next flight home to collect her surviving dogs from the daycare, retrieve Raffie's body from a funeral home, and be with the critically injured Odin at the vet.
In the hours following her initial announcement, she posted multiple tributes to Raffie, thanking her vast online community for their support. "I want to thank everyone for the love they gave him. I know he felt it," she wrote.
Despite the profound loss, Peeters vowed to continue her social media presence in honour of Raffie, sharing content featuring her other rescue bulldogs, whom she affectionately calls his siblings. "And, of course, I'm going to continue [with the social media posts] with the other bullies for Raffie," she promised.
Peeters' American bulldogs gained fame for their charming videos, which often featured them in cute costumes and trying new foods. Her video announcing Raffie's death has been viewed over 1.1 million times on TikTok, flooded with messages of condolence from her devoted followers.
