"She will be so missed": Tributes pour in as PewDiePie's dog Maya passes away at the age of 17

Modified Dec 19, 2022 06:06 GMT

YouTuber PewDiePie's beloved one-eyed pug, Maya, passed away on Sunday, December 18, 2022, after a long battle with declining health due to old age. She was 17 years old.

The Swedish social media star bid farewell to his pug in a heartbreaking Instagram tribute:

"Said farewell to my little Maya this morning.. 17 years is a long time for a pug, but no time in the world would've ever been enough... I will miss you s much and I already do.. you will always be in my heart, Maya."

PewDiePie's videos frequently featured his two pugs, Maya and Edgar. Fans took a liking to both the adorable pets, with one, @Schmoyoho (YouTube channel name for The Gregory Brothers), even making a song about Maya, titled Jabba the Hutt.

Maya was suffering from various health issues. In a vlog posted on July 20, 2022, the YouTube star commented that she is suffering from dementia. Back in 2018, he had stated that Maya had gone deaf and blind due to her age.

The comments section under PewDiePie's tribute post was filled with messages for Maya.

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @itsdougthepug)

"Her memory will always be a celebration": Social media users mourn the loss of PewDiePie's beloved dog

Upon hearing the tragic news of Maya's demise, netizens immediately took to social media to express their loss and send their condolences. Many were left in disbelief, and some even pointed out that they grew up watching the pug and grieved the loss of their childhood icon.

In a sweet message, one user @runabyte, said:

"Fly high Maya now that you got little pug wings."

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @runabyte)

Here are some of the other comments seen under PewDiePie's Instagram tribute:

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @grandayyyyyy)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @akidearest)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @anthonypadilla)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @damtdm)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @chazzisgone)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @lazarbeamyt)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @pigiut)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @dawishes)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @wwiishu)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @lesliemosier)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @my.name.bek)

Image showing a comment paying tribute to Maya (image via Instagram/ @h3ad1njury)

Who is PewDiePie?

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better known for his online persona, PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber. He is known for his comedy and video game-based content.

He announced his move to Japan back in 2019 but eventually moved post-pandemic. In a vlog posted on July 20, 2022, the YouTube star commented that although Maya made it safely to Japan, she is suffering from dementia. He stated:

"Maya has the ‘dementies.’ She’s so old. Her mind is kinda declining a bit."

He went ahead and explained that the cognitive disorder has left her angry and anxious, adding that failure to recognize routines and names has left her extremely irritated. His wife, Marzia, too mourned Maya's passing in a touching message on Instagram.

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The couple adopted another pup, Edgar, back in 2012. Both the dogs had been very close since then. With Maya's passing, Edgar currently remains as the couple's sole dog.

About the author

Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.

Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.

The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.

Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.

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Edited by Upasya Bhowal