Spot, Bush's Dog Has Died

White House web page | Press Secretary

[cajuncooker]

Statement by the Press Secretary

February 21, 2004

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The President and Mrs. Bush and the entire Bush family are deeply saddened by the passing of Spot. A loyal and loving companion, Spot was a beloved member of the Bush family for nearly 15 years. She will be missed.

[leadpenny]

I'm going to come back and read that poem later. When Elvis did "Old Shep" I cried like a baby.

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Please God, if You should hear a scratch on Eden's Gate tonight,
A gentle whine, a muffled bark; have Peter take a light
And open up the Pearly Gates and call her Spirit in,
For I think she lived in Heaven once; please take her back again.
She may have been a mongrel, without a pedigree,
Yet she was noble, kind and good; I think You will agree:
That she'll be very useful where the souls of children play.
She'll romp with them and see, Dear God, that they do not go astray.
Just tell her that we're sorry that we could not pat her head,
And whisper how we loved here 'ere her Spirit fled.
I pray that when death beckons, and my soul surmounts life's fog,
I'll rate a place in Heaven, Dear God, beside our dog....
Author Unknown

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Thanks you guys. The hardest thing is that my thinking is centered around him. I have my freedom back (in terms of not having to be here all the time, or give him insulin at specific hours of the day), and I don't want it. I miss him so terribly it is indescribable.

I hope this gets better. : (

[BigSkyFreeper]

Spot taking a dip in a pond in Crawford

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Daughter, I'm so sorry to hear this. I know how much you loved him.

My brother lost his dog/companion when his home burned to the ground last November. It was one of, if not THE, most devastating of all the losses from the fire.

He was even given a book at the hospital (where he was treated for burns) about coping with the loss of a pet. It is an extremely difficult thing for pet lovers.

[Aeronaut]

Luke just came into the office to see how I was doing.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"These last ones are really getting to me now."

Me too, Ms. Howlin...Me too.

[Neets]

Awwww, D...you got me crying now....


It WILL get better...I promise you...it'll just take a little bit of time.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Thank you, Southie.

[Use It Or Lose It]

Thanks to you and all who posted such marvelous photos of our President and his beloved Spot. Those photos capture snapshots of what we already knew; George Bush is a man with a heart as big as Texas.

I pray that the pain of this precious pet's loss will be brief, but in losing a pet, the owner loses a part of him or herself, and it leaves a void that nothing else can fill.

[Cathryn Crawford]

You're welcome. You know I think you're the best.

[LADY J]

"Volunteers took therapy dogs to the centers to just hang out."

Volunteers take dogs to the nursing homes here. It is a joy to see the happiness of the folks when they cuddle and pet them. I imagine it brings back some touching memories of earlier years they had with their own pets.

[BigSkyFreeper]

According to a Bio I found on a Presidential Pet site, one of Millie's puppies, Ranger, lives with George and Barbara Bush in Texas. The other's all went to good homes.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

What a beautiful boy.

[Timmy]

I really feel this today. This past Monday, we had to put our German Shepherd to sleep. She would have been 12 on March 3. Wonderful pet, great protector. Gentle to kids, fierce to strangers. Her heart was giving out and she couldn't walk more than a few feet before falling down. In sympathy with the Prez today.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Luke is a very beautiful dog.

[MEG33]

Bless you.The pain of the loss is great,I know.I'm so sorry.

[ohioWfan]

You can tell a whole lot about a man from a post like that.

You are very............small.

[Howlin]

Okay, that did it! I'm gone.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Okay, Neets. Thanks for the encouragement - I really need it right now. : (