Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics - Day 5 - Snowboarding - Source: Getty — Shaun White upset with the demise of his pet Steve [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source: Getty]

"I raised him from a pup and he was the perfect amount of fun" - Shaun White pens emotional note after 13-year-old pet dog Steve's demise

Modified Aug 14, 2024 06:37 GMT

Shaun White, the triple Olympic champion in snowboarding, mourned the unfortunate demise of his pet dog, Steve. White took to his Instagram to inform his fans and followers about it.

Taking to his official Instagram account, the former snowboarder posted a series of pictures of his pet dog. Supporting it with an emotional caption, White wrote-

"With a heavy heart, I wanted to let everyone know that Steve's health took a turn for the worse recently, and he passed away peacefully at the age of almost 13. I'm absolutely devastated by this loss."

Describing his journey with Steve, he further wrote,

"I raised him from a pup, and he was the perfect amount of fun, loving and crazy that you would want in a dog. He gave big French Bulldog energy till the end. I feel blessed to have had him as my dog and my best bud. Love you forever buddy [Emoji] rip #f****nsteve."

Condolences poured in from all corners as celebrities like Omar Bailey and Michael Phelps sent their love and good wishes to Shaun White, hoping for the former snowboarder to overcome the loss soon.

Shaun White and his love for dogs

Shaun White is one of the most successful snowboarders in his own right, having won three Olympic gold medals from 2006 to 2018. The snowboarder recently visited the French capital to cheer for his home team at the Paris Olympics 2024.

However, very few people know that White is equally passionate about dogs and was very attached to his French bulldog Steve.

A couple of years ago, one of Shaun White's reel on Instagram went viral, where he was practicing with a skateboard, and was interrupted by his dog, Steve, who bit at the board, refusing to let him go.

White wrote about it in an Instagram post and captioned,

"Find someone who supports your passions [Emoji]... Steve"

Shaun White also has two more pet dogs. While Leroy is a mix of Yorkie and Maltese breeds and lives with the snowboarder, Maverick is seen more with White's girlfriend, Nina Dobrev.

White once mentioned in an interview why he named his French bulldog Steve. He revealed that he loved a cartoon, where two youngsters worked at a school, and one of them was extremely mischievous. One of those characters was named Steve, which is why Shaun White mentioned his favorite pet as 'f****nsteve'!

White has represented the USA at five Winter Olympics, including the previous edition in Beijing. The American snowboarder has won three gold medals for the USA in halfpipe snowboarding at the Winter Olympics, from the Torino edition in 2006 to the Vancouver edition in 2010, and subsequently the Pyeongchang edition in 2018. Shaun White missed the podium by a whisker in his final appearance at the Beijing Winter Olympics, following which he retired from the sport altogether.