‘In memory of my best friend’: George H.W. Bush’s service dog Sully returns home for the holidays before starting new assignment with veterans and displays a new patch honoring the former president
- Late former president George H.W. Bush’s service dog Sully will rest at home in New York for the holidays
- The two-year-old Labrador retriever is to spend time in his native Long Island where he was born and trained by America’s VetDogs
- The organization held a ceremony honoring him for his work on Wednesday
- From February Sully will be with new puppy friends when he heads to work with US Military veterans at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland
The service dog of late former president George H.W. Bush will rest at home in New York for the holidays, enjoying an extended break until next year.
Sully the Labrador retriever is to spend time in his native Long Island where he was born and trained by America’s VetDogs.
In February 2019 Sully will get back to work when he heads to work with US Military veterans near Washington DC at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Sully the Labrador retriever is to spend time in his native Long Island where he was born and trained by America’s VetDogs. The organization held a ceremony for him Wednesday
He was sent to assist former president George H.W. Bush – who lived with Parkinson’s disease – in June
Bush’s furry friend will be joined by a black Labrador named Marine Sgt. Dillon and a chocolate English Labrador named Army Sgt. Truman.
On Wednesday the organization held a special ceremony for the animal with his trainer acknowledging all the hard work the pooch had carried out.
‘Sully had the right personality and temperament for the important job,” his trainer, Valerie Cramer, said at a news conference. ‘He is loyal, calm, kind with children – exactly what the president’s team asked for.
‘In addition, he’s a willing worker, he’s smart, and he’s adaptable to all environments.’
The service dog of late former president George H.W. Bush will rest at home in New York for the holidays
From February 2019 Sully will be with new puppy friends when he heads to work with US Military veterans at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland
He was sent to assist Bush – who lived with Parkinson’s disease – in June.
But the former American leader expressed his wish for Sully to continue helping veterans when he was gone.
‘From the first minute when the president said, “Welcome home”, I knew it was an absolutely perfect match,’ Cramer added.
Bush passed away aged 94 on November 30 and Sully was pictured lying next to his flag-covered casket as he said goodbye at a memorial.
The former American leader expressed his wish for Sully to continue helping veterans
Trainer Valerie Cramer said he’s a ‘willing worker’,’ smart’, and ‘adaptable to all environments’
Cramer said she immediately knew Sully and Bush were ‘an absolutely perfect match’
The two-and-a-half-year-old was named after the hero pilot Chesley B. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III who safely landed a plane of 115 people on the Hudson River in 2009.
Just like the man who flew the aircraft, his friends at America’s VetDogs – which has been around for 72 years – were very proud as he wound down for an extended Christmas break this week.
‘We all felt such a tremendous sense of pride in not only having worked with the president, but all the different veterans and veteran’s groups that we work with right here on Long Island and across the country,’ John Miller, CEO of The Guide Dog Foundation said at the event in Smithtown, New York.