Sully the service dog tackles new mission after George Bush snr's death

Sully, a yellow Labrador service dog who worked with former US President George H.W. Bush, on December 4, 2018. Photo / Washington Post

One mission is complete and another is just getting started.

Sully the service dog, who famously stood by his "boss," George H.W. Bush, in the months before the former US president's death in November, is back to work.

Sully, who is named after "hero pilot" Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, was sworn in today to the Facility Dog Programme at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre.

"It was (President Bush's) wish that Sully serve other veterans," said Sully's trainer, Valerie Cramer of America's VetDogs, during a news conference in December.

Cramer went on to describe Sully as calm, loyal, smart and adaptable to all environments. In his new job, the famous Labrador will visit injured vets and provide comfort for service members and their families rehabilitating at Walter Reed.

Sully rose to national fame in the wake of Bush's passing after a photo of the service dog laying by the former president's casket went viral with the caption "Mission Complete."

The lab was a fixture by the President′s side last year, even making an appearance as a "bridesmaid" in former first daughter Barbara Pierce Bush's wedding at the family's compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.

According to his Instagram page (yes, Sully has one), his official rank is Hospital Corpsman Second Class, an enlisted medical specialist in the US Navy. Sully (okay, his human handler) wrote that his new assignment was "an honour and a privilege."