On Nov. 30, 2018, George H.W. Bush passed away at age 94 while surrounded by friends, family and loved ones at his home in Houston, Texas. The 41st president of the United States was known as being a compassionate animal lover. Shortly before his passing, George H.W. Bush adopted a service dog from America’s VetDogs — a nonprofit organization that provides military veterans with skilled service dogs.
According to a report by news station KTRK, America’s VetDogs trained a golden lab for the 41st president. Known as Sully, the golden lab was immediately embraced into the Bush family. But with the George H.W. Bush’s passing, many people are wondering what’s next for Sully? Well, Sully’s story is just beginning.
Sully is expected to stay at the Bush family’s home for the remainder of the year. After the holidays have passed, Sully will travel to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he will assist veterans and active-duty servicemembers who’ve been wounded or are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is a tri-service — Army, Navy and Air Force — medical center located in Bethesda, Maryland. The medical center was named after Walter Reed, who was instrumental in identifying the viral disease yellow fever. Each year, tens of thousands of veterans and active-duty servicemembers seek treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The center has even provided services to several U.S. presidents. Soon, Sully will join the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to assist practitioners in treating military veterans and active-duty servicemembers.
When speaking about George H.W. Bush’s passing, America’s VetDogs’s President and CEO explained that it was an honor to provide the former president with Sully. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family during this difficult time. It was truly an honor to have provided service dog Sully to be by the president’s side for the past several months,” said John Miller, President and CEO of America’s VetDogs “As a true patriot and a visionary, President Bush will forever be viewed by people with disabilities and their families as a hero through his efforts to enact the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are forever grateful to his service to the American people.”
Sully was named after famous American pilot Chesley Sullenberger III who miraculously landed a commercial jet on the Hudson River in 2009. All 155 passengers and crew aboard the US Airways Flight 1549 walked away from the river landing unscathed.
