Sully the service dog has been a busy boy since his last assignment ended. Sully came into the service of former President George H.W. Bush shortly after the passing of his wife and first lady, Barbara Bush. Sully was trained by America’s Vet Dogs and spent the last few months of H.W.’s life with him. It’s said that he and the former president were very closely bonded. When his friend died, a photo of Sully resting near the flag-draped casket went viral, and people all over the world fell in love with him.
View this post on Instagram
In honor of his dear friend, Sully earned a presidential seal patch for his vest, and his collar still bears the name “Sully H.W. Bush,” proving that he’s still a treasured member of the Bush family even though he’s moving on to help others.
View this post on Instagram
When his assignment with the Bush family came to an end it was said that Sully would be joining a team of service dogs at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD to serve wounded soldiers. But for the moment, he has been returned to America’s Vet Dogs and has made a few public appearances, including for the CNN All Star Heroes Tribute and CBS This Morning.
His most recent public appearance was especially notable, because this time he got to meet another Sully – the one he was named after! Captain Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III was employed as a pilot with American airlines in 2009 when his flight hit a large flock of birds and lost power to both engines. Captain Sullenberger was able to land the Airbus A320 on the Hudson River near Manhattan without losing any lives. Captain Sullenberger is a hero, and having a service dog named for him is only one of the ways he has been recognized for his heroic act. The two finally met just this week.
See their meeting here:
Sully (the dog, not the pilot) will be moving on to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center next week.
H/T: Today.com
Featured Photo: @sullyhwbush/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
