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Jenna Bush Hager and Her Kids Reunite with Sully the Dog Who Served George HW Bush

Busayo Ogunjimi
By Busayo Ogunjimi
Nov 16, 2020
09:20 P.M.

"Today" co-host Jenna Bush Hager and her daughters, Mila, Poppy Louise, reunited with Sully the Service Dog, who served the TV personality's late grandfather, former POTUS George H.W. Bush.

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Jenna Bush Hager and her daughters, Mila, 7, and Poppy Louise, 5, celebrated Veteran's Day by reuniting with Sully, a Labrador retriever, who was with Hager's granddad, late President George H.W. Bush, in his final months.

Sully the Service Dog is famous and has a statue of himself in Smithtown, New York, in honor of Veterans Day. The dog was also celebrated for his service to veterans at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Jenna Bush Hager visits the SiriusXM Studios on November 15, 2017. | Photo: Getty Images

Jenna Bush Hager visits the SiriusXM Studios on November 15, 2017. | Photo: Getty Images

Hager and her daughters were able to interact with the dog via Zoom and were all smiles when they reconnected. Mila and Poppy first met Sully in February 2019 when the dog visited the NBC News studios to meet his namesake, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, a retired Air Force fighter pilot, and airline captain.

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Captain Sullenberger is notable for his role in ditching a US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan. A bird strike disabled both engines of the airplane, but the captain's heroics saved the lives of all 155 people on board.

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The Zoom video call provided Mila and Poppy the opportunity of having a long-awaited reunion with Sully, and it made for an adorable meeting. The girls were all smiles on meeting their old friend.

The dog assisted Bush in his day to day activities and proved to be a beacon of joy to him.

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Poppy said she wanted to hug Sully. Mila then asked the dog if he could remember "Great Gampy," referring to her late great-grandpa, George H.W. Bush. Sully nodded in agreement.

The sweet girls ensured Sully also met their younger baby brother, Hal, for the first time. "Today Show" shared a video of the reunion meeting on their Twitter page, captioning it:

"Sully the service dog, who was President George H.W. Bush's companion during his final months, is being thanked for his service to military veterans in a special way..."

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Sully and the late president shared a short but special friendship that began in June 2018 until the latter's death on November 30, 2018.

The former POTUS was in and out of the hospital for low blood pressure and fatigue, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda recommended a dog for him.

Sully was trained specially to meet the former president's demands and arrived at the Bush compound to meet with his new best friend.

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The dog assisted Bush in his day to day activities and proved to be a beacon of joy to him, especially after his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, died in April 2018.

However, their six-month friendship ended with Bush's passing. Now, Sully works at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and was recently promoted to a higher rank. Though he does not freely roam the hall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the adorable dog continues to bring joy the best way he can.

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