As our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the family of former President George H.W. Bush, we turn our attention to his faithful, beloved companion of the past five months. His name is Sully:

Sully, named after former airline pilot and hero, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, came to the former president through America’s VetDogs, a nonprofit that provides service dogs at no cost to veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with disabilities. Sully was appointed to 41 two months after he lost the love of his life, Barbara. The canine has also garnered quite the following on his Instagram.

Thinking of Sully HW Bush…sorry you lost your friend. pic.twitter.com/N3nNUz8T49

— Liberty Peace Love (@LuvLibertyPeace) December 1, 2018

Good job boy @sullyhwbush. You did good. #RIP41 https://t.co/L5xBirON8o pic.twitter.com/H3wjITAfdz

— Kris Cruz (@realKrisCruz) December 3, 2018

And George H.W. Bush was so proud of his boy:

A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, "Sully," a beautiful — and beautifully trained — lab from @AmericasVetDogs. Could not be more grateful, especially for their commitment to our veterans. pic.twitter.com/Fx4ZCZAJT8

— George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) June 25, 2018

Sully the retriever is no ordinary dog, mind you. This boy can can perform a two-page list of commands, including answering the phone and fetching items.

“As one person said, he can do just about anything except make you a martini, but not to worry, he can go get you someone to make you a martini!”-Bush spokesman, Jim McGrath

Sully will escort Bush’s casket one last time on the flight to Washington, DC. While his mission is complete with his former owner, this retriever will go on to do more great things. He will return to America’s VetDogs in Smithtown, New York for a stay over the holidays (and we hope they spoil the heck out of him) and will go on to help other military veterans by joining the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Facility Dog Program. There, he will work alongside fellow VetDogs SGT Dillon and SGT Truman, assisting wounded soldiers and active duty personnel during their journey to recovery at Walter Reed Bethesda.

It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place one assistance dog; however, all of VetDogs’ services are provided at no charge to the individual. Funding comes from the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and community organizations.-America’s VetDogs

You can read more about the America’s VetDogs program here.

Condolences are still pouring out to Sully. Head to Instagram and I warn you, grab the Kleenex.

One can look into an animal’s eyes and can see the sadness when they lose their human. I often look into the eyes of my pets and I see wonderful souls. When someone loses a pet and says, “that animal has been better to me than some people,” I believe them because I have felt that way about all of my furry friends-past and present.

As we saw in the picture of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, animals encourage people to put aside their differences and behave with civility. Animals don’t discriminate. Animals don’t care about political affiliation. Animals bridge the divide. Animals love unconditionally. They encourage us to slow down a bit, to put off the daily pressures and take that occasional nap (and if you’re not willing to go along with this plan, they will sit on you and make sure you slow down.) They make us smile a little bit more and they give us that most-needed belly laugh with their antics. And when it comes to loyalty, they cannot be surpassed.

This dog only,
waited on,
Knowing that when light is gone,
Love remains for shining.
–Elizabeth Barrett Browning

We can learn some lessons here from our friend, Sully. God speed, Sully H.W. Bush and thank you for being such a loyal companion. Your mission may be complete for now, but we know you’re moving on to do more great things. In the meantime, we hope you get as many treats, belly rubs, hugs and kisses as a fine dog as yourself can handle!

Photo Credit: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sullyhwbush/