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Ken Jennings just revealed who his spirit animal is, and it was something fans might not expect — an old Wheel of Fortune mascot.
“It’s not ok to say you have a spirit animal now, but IF IT WAS: my spirit animal is still the ceramic Dalmatian from the 1980s Wheel of Fortune,” he captioned the Instagram post on July 15.
In the photo, Jennings leaned down in front of the dog, who was in a display case, with the value of $154 in front of him. Jennings smiled slightly as the fake dog looked on.
The note in the case shared that the Dalmatian’s name was Sheldon. It then went on to explain more about him. “This ceramic Dalmatian is the official mascot of Wheel of Fortune. He was a popular fixture when contestants would go ‘shopping’ with their winnings,” it read.
“Hang this in the Louvre,” The WOF Instagram page replied.
In the 1980’s the contestants on the game show could use their winnings to shop for prizes that WOF had on set. The Dalmatian cost $154 and was chosen by many contestants. He was chosen for the first time in 1987 by a contestant named Lillian, who took home $7,900 in prizes. After that, Sheldon became a staple on the show and was chosen by many contestants, becoming the unofficial mascot.
Lillian also took home a set of China, a men’s wristwatch, a mirror, and a table telephone. Then, on her second solve, she picked the grandfather clock, the Dalmatian that she “promised to her coworkers,” the crystal stemware, wallpaper, a fridge, a rug, and a lamp.
“It kind of went all downhill after the dog,” then host Pat Sajak joked. During the Bonus Round, Sajak said that Lillian was so excited to win the dog that he would join them and bring her luck. He didn’t, however.
Now, the dog is on display in a Wheel of Fortune studio tour. Since Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! both tape on the Sony lot, Jennings most likely passes the dog every day.
Fans reacted to the Jeopardy! host’s post in the comments. “When I say ‘I got that dawg in me,’ this is who I’m talking about,” one fan said.
“Ok so who’s bringing the Ken Jennings fursona to life?” another asked.
“This dog could be your power animal, your inner animal, your personal mascot, your vibe twin…we have lots of options!” a third added.
“Sheldon is staring right into your soul,” one last fan said.
Do you remember Sheldon? Do you want him brought back? Let us know in the comments.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
Wheel of Fortune, Season 44, fall 2026, check local listings
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