Sullivan said that even though his cancer diagnosis came out of the blue two years ago, Dolly had long sensed something was wrong.
When Sullivan turned lethargic in 2018, the dog was reluctant to leave his side. If he went upstairs, Dolly was right behind him, and if Sullivan napped, Dolly slept, too. When he became too sick to travel and was forced to work from home, the dog spent hours nestled by his feet.
The illness was identified soon after. Sullivan had stage two colorectal cancer, and the road to recovery would be arduous: six months of chemotherapy, 28 radiation treatments and two surgeries. The 58-year-old recalled that his doctors urged him to keep a "positive mental attitude."
Enter Dolly.
An already successful show dog, she was progressing rapidly toward American Kennel Club grand-champion status before Sullivan was diagnosed. With Dolly's primary handler, Ann Sullivan, sidelined at home in New Jersey caring for her husband, a family friend offered to show the dog. Sue King kept the couple in the loop as Dolly nabbed wins across the country and rose in AKC-status, offering Sean a distraction from his intense treatment.
"Every win from the road, every ribbon, we could just take our mind off cancer," Ann Sullivan said, tearing up as she looked at her husband inside Pier 94 in Manhattan, where all the breed-judging events were held. "It put us on a different plane. When you're going through cancer, fighting it and trying to stay positive, everything helps."
Dolly is one of 2500 dogs representing 204 breeds, 49 states and 19 countries at the Westminster competition. The spectators here are eager to see who wins the coveted best in show, but many fans are unaware of how the dogs' abilities translate beyond the arena - in ways that can't be captured by awards and accolades.
Dolly, for example, could tell Sean was sick before he recognised his symptoms, the Sullivans say. Like all performance dogs, Dolly is conditioned to read and react to even the most subtle nonverbal cues during shows. The animals, having experienced dozens of competitions with their handlers, are often more in tune with their owners' emotions than are other pets, Westminster Kennel Club spokeswoman Gail Bisher said.
Sullivan has been in remission for five months.
In March, as Sullivan was enduring a difficult three-week hospital stay, King called him with incredible news: Dolly had completed the last step needed for her to finish her championship.
Sullivan was discharged a few days later, and he credits that call with helping him turn a corner.
Sullivan said he now feels like "a million bucks."
He and his wife were at Pier 94 Sunday morning as King showed Dolly in the best of breed competition. Dolly held her own among the other corgis in her group and displayed a clear bond with King, and while her work didn't result in any awards, King said she had no complaints about the dog's performance.
Out of her crate and on the bench after her showing, Dolly eagerly greeted her owners and handler with kisses.
The results of Sunday's contest never mattered.
"She's still a champion in our eyes," Sullivan said, "a grand champion."
