Courtney Budzyn has shared an emotional tribute to her golden retriever, Tucker, who has died at age 8, less than a week after she revealed his lymphoma diagnosis.
What happened
Courtney said Tucker had been responding well to cancer treatment before she learned the disease had spread to his intestine. She explained that the treatment had left a hole where the cancer had been, and that Tucker developed an infection that worsened rapidly overnight, with his temperature rising uncontrollably. She said the family made the decision to let him go once nothing was able to bring it down.
What Courtney said
Speaking through tears while holding a box believed to contain Tucker's ashes, Courtney told fans she had tried everything possible to save him. She described Tucker as feeling like part of her own soul, saying his loss felt like losing a part of her own body. She said she'd delayed sharing the news because she wasn't ready to appear on camera while still so upset, but felt she couldn't keep fans waiting any longer given how many messages she'd received wishing Tucker well.
Courtney also credited Tucker with saving her life, saying he had witnessed difficult periods in her life that she never shared publicly, and that he had stayed closely attached to her throughout. She said she didn't expect people to fully understand what he meant to her, but that she felt she owed it to him to keep going rather than give up, given how loyally he had stayed by her side.
Tucker's story
Tucker joined Courtney's family as an eight-week-old puppy in June 2018, and quickly built a massive online following after she began sharing videos of him. Their bond is also the subject of an upcoming picture book, Of All the Sniffs I Love the Most, due for release in November.
