George H.W. Bush’s faithful service dog wouldn’t leave his coffin’s side at his funeral

Last Friday, November 30, 2018, the world was saddened with the passing of the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. Aged 94 years old, the former president of America definitely lived a long and fulfilling life.

With only 7 months after his beloved wife, Barbara Bush, passed away, George H.W. Bush joined his wife in heaven. Boasting 73 years of marriage full of love and respect, it is safe to say that the two are reunited once again.

With the loss of such a honorable and respectable man, the world mourned for the former president’s untimely death. Family, friends, politicians, and other people around the world expressed their grief and shared their fondest memories on various social media sites. But apparently, they are not the only one who miss the late president.

His service dog, Sully, has been photographed dutifully guarding his coffin at his funeral. The late president’s spokesperson, Jim McGrath posted Sully’s heartwarming photo on Twitter along with the caption of “Mission complete.”

Sully is a mighty golden Labrador who’s specially trained to be a service dog. Named after the heroic pilot who successfully landed an impaired passenger jet on the Hudson River, Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved 155 lives. The dutiful service dog was given to the late president as a gift after he lost the love of his  life, Barbara Bush.

Although the late president and Sully have only been together for a short period of time, still it is safe to say that the two shared a strong bond. In fact, upon receiving Sully, the late President George H.W.Bush posted a picture of the mighty Labrador together with his fellow former President Bill Clinton.

Along with the picture was the caption: “A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, “Sully,” a beautiful – and beautifully trained – lab from America’s VetDogs… [I] could not be more grateful, especially for their commitment to our veterans.”

Sully is a service dog trained by America’s VetDogs which is a non-profit organization that aims to provide service dogs to the veterans in need of them. Thus, when the late president succumbed to Vascular Parkinsonism, the America’s VetDogs extended their condolences as well.

“Our condolences go out to the Bush family at this time.” The America’s VetDogs also uploaded a picture of the late President Bush holding the leash of Sully as he was being pushed in a wheelchair.

The now viral photo of the crestfallen Sully who was guarding the late President’s casket pulled strings to the heart of netizens. On Twitter alone, the heartwarming photo accumulated  more than 70,000 retweets. In addition, the same photo shared on the Facebook page of America’s VetDogs also reached thousands of shares.

Now that his presidential mission is about to be completed, Sully is expected to join the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. According to America’s VetDogs, Sully will lend his assistance in the physical and occupational therapy of wounded soldiers and duty personnel until they fully recover.

In the short time that Sully became a part of the Bush family, his presence brought so much joy and comfort. In fact, even the 43rd president of America who is the son of the late 41st president, believes that Sully will be an enormous help to the patients at Walter Reed.

But before Sully officially becomes a part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the dutiful service dog would travel with his master one last time as the late president’s casket is transported to Washington.

Watch the heartwarming video below to learn more about Sully, a service dog who is serving as another testament of how loyal and faithful animals can be to the people they love.

Video | CNN