A photo of late United States President George HW Bush's service dog lying next to his casket is moving the internet to tears. Picture of Sully HW Bush, a Labrador retriever curled up below the casket has gone viral on social networking sites. The lab kept Bush company after his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, died in April.

The 41st President passed away on Friday at his Houston home at the age of 94. Bush's death was announced by his son, former US President George W. Bush, who praised his father as "a man of the highest character."

Bush had taken to Twitter announcing Sully's arrival as the newest addition to the family. He had tweeted: 'A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, "Sully," a beautiful -- and beautifully trained -- lab from @AmericasVetDogs. Could not be more grateful, especially for their commitment to our veterans.' Reportedly, the yellow lab will also be travelling with Bush's casket on his flight to Washington, DC. Husky Dog Saved Seven Kittens From Dying and Now Acts Like Their Mother.

Here is the tweet:

Sully will now go to help other veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Sully also has his own Instagram account, where photos of him with Bush was regularly posted. It was updated with the picture of him lying down with the caption: 'Mission Accomplished'. George Bush shared the Instagram post and wrote: 'As much as our family is going to miss this dog, we're comforted to know he'll bring the same joy to his new home, Walter Reed, that be brought to 41.' Gujarat: Dog Saves Shepherd’s Life From Three Lions in Amreli's Ambardi Village.

Here is the Instagram post:

The Bush family spokesman, Jim McGrath, posted the same picture of Sully HW Bush with the caption: 'Mission complete. #Remembering41.' Sully is named after the former pilot Chesley B. 'Sully' Sullenberger III, who was in the limelight for safely landing a damaged jet with 155 passengers on the Hudson River in 2009. A movie 'Sully: Miracle on the Hudson' based on the incident featuring Tom Hanks as Sully was also made.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 03, 2018 01:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).