The energetic corgi who went viral after leading four men on a wild chase around an NFL football field was asked to show off her running prowess on the TODAY Plaza this morning, but once again decided to do things on her own terms.
Quinn, a 25-pound corgi, was selected to take part in a corgi race during the halftime festivities at the Nov. 8 Broncos-Panthers game. Instead, Quinn had plans of her own and ran around the field solo for nearly a minute as staffers attempted to catch her.
“Quinn decided that she just did not want to race,” her owner, Ireland, said on TODAY Nov. 11.
Ireland, a resident of North Carolina, said Quinn was selected for the corgi race through the Charlotte Corgi Club. She also shared how she reacted when she saw her pup going rogue.
“I was at the finish line yelling, ‘Quinn, stop!’ But I couldn’t go over to her, so I just had to stand there and wait and hope for the best,” she said.
Quinn put up a good fight, but she was eventually caught around the 40 yard line. Still, her feistiness instantly won over many social media users, sparking videos and memes of the hilarious moment.
“Me running away from all my problems,” one video says over a clip of Quinn’s joyful run.
Quinn went on her first plane ride to visit TODAY. Appearing on the Plaza with Ireland, the corgi wore a TODAY T-shirt as her owner held her up for the camera.
“Don’t run away, Quinn, stay here,” Carson Daly teased the pup.
The corgi was also invited to re-create her viral moment and participate in Al Roker’s beloved tradition: running around the horn.
As Craig Melvin took her by the leash, the corgi seemed a bit hesitant at first but began to move, then picked up speed when her owner joined. But Quinn didn’t seem eager to break into a full sprint like she did Sunday.
Craig tried dropping the leash to see if the pup would run a bit faster. She picked up speed but wasn’t eager to run on command.
“Quinn’s like no, if you’re not on a football field, I’m not doing this,” Craig joked.
In the days following the viral moment, many social media users have suggested that the NFL should draft Quinn. Ireland said the dog would certainly entertain the idea.
“She would love that,” she said.
