A heartbreaking image shows George H.W. Bush’s service dog lying next to the 41st President’s coffin in Houston on Sunday.
The image shows ‘Sully,’ a specially trained golden lab, mournfully lying down as Bush’s flag-draped coffin is seen a few feet from him.
The caption of the tweet says: “Mission complete.”
Mission complete. #Remembering41 pic.twitter.com/rXdyXAS4lk
— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) December 3, 2018
Sully was gifted to the elder Bush in June.
Bush’s official Twitter account posted an image of Sully and another former President, Bill Clinton, on June 25 after Sully’s arrival.
The tweet read: “A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, “Sully,” a beautiful – and beautifully trained – lab from America’s VetDogs.”
“Could not be more grateful, especially for their commitment to our veterans.”
America’s VetDogs is a New York-based nonprofit group which provides service dogs to veterans in need.
After news broke of Bush’s passing on Saturday, America’s VetDogs tweeted a statement, saying: “America’s VetDogs is deeply saddened by the loss of President George H.W. Bush.”
Sully will return to its Smithtown, New York headquarters, where he will stay for the holiday season.
He is then expected to be transferred to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Facility Dog Program in Bethesda, where canines help wounded veterans as they undergo physical and occupational therapy.
Air Force One arrived in Texas today to transport Bush’s body to Washington for a state funeral.
He will be honored during several private and public events in Houston and Washington before he is buried in Texas next to his wife, Barbara, and their young daughter Robin, who died in 1953.
