Posted by Michelle Golden on Dec 6th 2018
Sully, George HW Bush's Service Dog, Says Goodbye #Remembering41
Today, December 5, 2018, is the National Day of Mourning for former President George HW Bush, who passed recently at the age of 94. Many profiles and memorial pieces for our 41st President will focus on his time in the political spotlight, as well they should. I only intend to touch on it briefly.
President Bush was instrumental in the signing of the original Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, the same law which today protects the rights of people with disabilities across the country. It is also the primary law protecting service dog handler rights in the US. While the ADA is far from perfect, as a service dog handler myself it is this legacy for which I will remember President Bush. Thankfully, he himself was able to benefit from the ADA when he became a service dog handler himself due to a variety of physical injuries and illnesses that left him disabled.
Former President Bush was paired with a yellow lab named Sully in June of 2018. As a puppy, Sully was raised by prison inmates, who taught him foundational service dog skills, basic obedience, and worked on proper socialization. Following that, and beginning at about 15 months old, Sully was trained by America’s VetDogs specifically to meet the needs of President Bush, which included things like retrieval of items, opening and closing doors, and getting help in case of emergency.
Above, courtesy of the former president’s twitter account, is a picture of Sully on his homecoming day, with President Bush, and President Clinton, who escorted Sully home. Sully quickly and seamlessly fit himself into life with his handler, facing each day with a quiet grace and joy. He amassed a loyal following on Instagram, @sullyhwbush, and many adventures are chronicled there.
The loss of President Bush has not only left a hole in the hearts of the nation, as well as his family, but also means the bond between service dog and handler will be severed. I say will be, because Sully isn’t quite done helping his handler yet. Recently, pictures of Sully laying by President Bush’s flag draped casket have circulated on social media. He continues to lay with the casket as it remains in state at the Capitol.
“Mission Complete” - Photo Courtesy of Jim McGrath
“Sully Says Goodbye” - Associated Press
So what’s next for Sully? Many service dogs whose handlers pass away either remain with the family as pets, or return to the program they were trained by (if applicable). Sully, however, has a different path ahead. Per a press release from America’s VetDogs on Facebook, Sully will undergo a career change, becoming a facility dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. As a facility dog, Sully will assist wounded veterans with their physical and occupational therapy sessions, as well as offering comfort and companionship. This allows him to still use his extensive service dog training, and perhaps help determine whether a service dog would be a good fit in the lives of the patients he’s visiting. A fitting job for such a hardworking dog, whose loyalty cannot be underestimated.
Good boy Sully. May your handler, our former President, rest in peace.
#MissionComplete
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