COPIAH COUNTY — Long before her son became the face of Mississippi State athletics, Queen Pippa was simply a six-week-old bulldog brought home to fill a quiet house and an empty nest.
Nelson’s Duchess Philippa, known affectionately as “Pippa,” died Jan. 5 at the age of 13, leaving behind a legacy that stretched from her family’s home to the heart of Mississippi State University and far beyond the football sidelines.
Pippa came into the Nelson family in December 2012, just as Tammy Nelson’s youngest child, Josh, left for MSU. What began as companionship quickly grew into something deeper.
“She was beautiful, fiercely independent, hated her feet touched and loved me beyond anything I could ever imagine,” Nelson wrote in a Facebook post remembering Pippa’s life.
In her younger years, Pippa was energetic and playful, chasing skateboards, balls and five-gallon buckets, and asserting herself as the dominant presence on what the family jokingly called “Nelson Hill.” Her loyalty to Nelson was unmatched, especially after Nelson underwent knee replacement surgery, when Pippa refused to leave her side.
“She slept in our bedroom, she got up when I did and slept when I did,” Nelson wrote.
Though breeding Pippa was never intended to lead to Mississippi State, fate intervened. While attending a taping of “Dawg Talk” at Buffalo Wild Wings, Josh Nelson struck up a conversation with Lisa Pritchard, who encouraged the family to consider breeding Pippa.
The result was history in maroon and white.
Mississippi State University’s Mascot, Jak(Courtesy MSU website)
Pippa was bred twice to Bully XXI Champ, producing Jak — officially Bully XXI — who would go on to serve as Mississippi State’s beloved mascot, along with two other puppies, Lizzi and Fitz. Neither Pippa nor Champ was bred again.
Pippa’s connection to MSU extended well beyond motherhood. She regularly visited campus, rode along on trips, and became a familiar and welcome presence at nursing homes, Tractor Supply stores and community outings. In her later years, she especially loved riding with Nelson in a golf cart.
Despite her regal nickname, Pippa’s life was not without hardship. She battled arthritis, survived heartworms, endured ACL surgery complicated by severe bleeding, and continued to live actively into her senior years.
About three months before her death, veterinarians discovered tumors in her mammary glands and chest. The cancer was aggressive and inoperable.
“I expected her to die from old age,” Nelson wrote. “Cancer never entered into it for me.”
Through careful veterinary care, Pippa reached milestone after milestone — her 13th birthday on Dec. 21, Christmas Day, and even the New Year. But by early January, her condition rapidly declined.
“She was weak and tired of fighting,” Nelson wrote. “It was time to do what was right for Pippa.”
Surrounded by those who loved her, Pippa was put to rest after what Nelson described as the hardest decision her family has ever made.
Nelson credited Brookhaven Animal Hospital, Dr. Ryan Case and others for recognizing how special Pippa was, and thanked Mississippi State University and Pritchard for believing in her journey.
Though Pippa never wore the maroon jersey herself, her impact on Mississippi State and the Nelson family is lasting.
“She changed so many lives, mostly ours,” Nelson wrote. “Her legacy is long and will live forever.”
