PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Winners of AGT Season 18 Adrian Stoica and Hurricane arrives at the Red Carpet For "America's Got Talent" Season 18 Finale at Hotel Dena on September 27, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
(Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images)

America’s Got Talent: Border Collie and Dog Dad Take Home Grand Prize

America’s Got Talent (AGT) recently wrapped up season 18, where a Border Collie and his parent take home the prize. Adrian Stoica and his dog Hurricane were the first dog act in a decade to win the show. The duo amazed both America and the studio audience with a date night routine.

AGT season 18 winners won $1 million

The winners of America’s Got Talent season 18 walked away with the esteemed title and a grand prize of $1 million. They also won the opportunity to headline AGT Presents SUPERSTARS Live.

As per Access Hollywood, judge Simon Cowell spoke to a reporter after the finale and noted that his son, Eric, predicted the results. His son — who regularly accompanied him to the show — declared Hurricane would prevail and win it all.

Even Cowell, with his gruff demeanor and rough-around-the-edges temperament, found the duo riveting. In an interview with NBC, he commented, “I’ve never seen a dog act where everything was done by voice commands. It was live, it could’ve gone horribly wrong, but she was just amazing.”

The winning pair competed against 10 other performers during the finale, including Murmuration, Ahren Belisle, Putri Ariani, Lavender Darcangelo, Ramadhani Brothers, Anna DeGuzman, Chibi Unity, Mzansi Youth Choir, 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus, and Avantgardey.

Adrian Stoica opens up about the loss of his other dog

When America’s Got Talent season 18 began, Adrian was a parent to two pups: Hurricane and Rory. During the season finale, he opened up about losing the older pooch just 10 days after his Live Show Act.

https://youtu.be/wjXZ460lVLY?feature=shared

As per NBC, Rory was Hurricane’s inspiration. During the segment, Stoica called Rory a mentor to Hurricane and noted that it’s been “very hard” without her. The pet parent added that the AGT co-winner helped him through the difficult time. After losing the older four-legged friend, Stoica realized “life is short.”

The winner took to Instagram to pay tribute to the pup and described her as “regel, wild, powerful, and arrogant.” He further called her the “engine and reason” for what he will do in the future.

If you’re dealing with grief after the loss of a pet, know that you are not alone. There are many ways to memorialize your four-legged friend’s memory and pay tribute to all of the love and joy they brought into this world.

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