Soccer the Dog

Soccer, a Jack Russell Terrier, carved out a unique place in television history as a gifted animal actor. He was a familiar face in commercials for major brands like Nike and Mighty Dog Dog Food, but his most enduring role came when he was cast as Wishbone, the daydreaming canine narrator of the beloved PBS Kids series *Wishbone*. Selected from over 100 hopefuls, Soccer brought the literary-minded terrier to life in nearly every episode of the show, which aired from 1995 to 1998.

The dog lived on a ranch in Princeton, Texas, with his trainer, Jackie Martin Kaptan, where the series was filmed. That same ranch became his final resting place after his death in 2001. Soccer’s portrayal of Wishbone—a small dog with a big imagination—earned him a lasting place among the most cherished TV dogs of the 1990s. His pedigree was equally impressive: his sire, Blencathra Badger, made history in 1991 as the first Parson Russell Terrier to win Best of Breed at Crufts. Through his work on screen, Soccer left a lasting paw print on children’s entertainment.