Kelly McLaughlin

The husband of a California teacher <a id="30980f70-78fc-3c29-a62b-75a1fc9e1be3" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/california-teacher-arrested-after-forcibly-cutting-a-students-hair-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> who was filmed forcibly chopping off a student's hair </a> while belting out the national anthem has expressed shock and confusion over the incident.

, a science teacher at University Preparatory High School in Visalia, was arrested on Wednesday after video of the incident was posted online.

She is now being held at the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility on $100,000 bail on suspicion of felony child endangerment, the <a id="c5964f25-92a2-3691-af25-6021bd10bcf7" href="https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2018/12/05/visalia-teacher-sings-anthem-chops-students-hair/2218275002/"> Visalia Times Delta reported </a> .

Her husband, who has not been publicly named, said Gieszinger's actions were totally out of character.

"It's a shock to me, that's out of her character. She doesn't do stuff like that," he told <a id="6db1315c-9a28-3544-a8df-0d0eed0f5555" href="https://abc30.com/husband-of-teacher-who-cut-students-hair-says-hes-shocked-confused/4849374/"> ABC 30 </a> . "It's not her. It's not who she is. So I don't know what was going on with her. I don't have any clue as to why she did that."

In <a id="bc77558c-d0a2-30ce-aa19-07d2f9050a5a" href="https://abc30.com/visalia-teacher-arrested-for-forcibly-cutting-kids-hair-in-class/4843682/"> videos of the incident </a> , Gieszinger is first seen standing in front of a student, cutting portions of the student's hair off and throwing them behind her.

As the student attempted to get up, Gieszinger said, "You're not done."

She is then pictured trying to go after another student before children started to run out of the classroom.

People at the school had noticed Gieszinger acting strange earlier in the week, and had reportedly accused students of taking a test that went missing on Monday, according to the Visalia Times Delta.

One of Gieszinger’s students, Lilli Gates, told the newspaper that the incidents this week were completely out of character.

Read more: <a id="b1e6c961-cf0f-3501-a10d-53477058427e" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/california-teacher-arrested-after-forcibly-cutting-a-students-hair-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A California teacher was arrested after appearing to forcibly cut off a student's hair while singing the national anthem </a>

"When everything was going on I was terrified, and I so badly wanted to blame her. I was scared she was going to come back," Gates said. "What she did to my classmates and I is inexcusable. I am not trying to make excuses for her, I simply ask everyone to reconsider how they view her. She is a loving and kind lady. She is usually all smiles and laughs. This is not the Miss G we know and love."

Tulare County Office of Education, which oversees the high school, is investigating the incident.

Jim Vidak, superintendent of Tulare County schools, said Gieszinger will not return to her classroom and a substitute will take over for the rest of the semester.

Visalia Times Delta reported that, according to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, <a id="e5ff16ff-8b87-3d17-abcd-067c18fbe354" href="https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2018/12/05/visalia-teacher-sings-anthem-chops-students-hair/2218275002/"> Gieszinger's teaching credential was suspended in 2007 and 2016 </a> , for two weeks each time.

The reasons behind the suspensions remain unclear.

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The husband of a teacher who got arrested after being filmed forcibly cutting a student's hair said he's shocked and confused by video of the incident

A New Jersey state official claims the office of Gov. Phil Murphy failed to act after she accused one of the governor's aides of rape.

Katie Brennan, 31, the chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, gave testimony to the Select Oversight Committee at the Statehouse on Tuesday in a hearing over the Murphy administration's handling of her alleged rape.

Brennan claimed she was sexually assaulted by Albert Alvarez, a former campaign senior official for Murphy and New Jersey’s former Schools Development Authority chief, on April 8, 2017, <a id="4b5db609-a6a2-3a5d-a9b6-fb16a485c24c" href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/12/katie-brennan-speaks-for-the-first-time-publicly-my-voice-went-unheard-by-murphy-administration.html"> according to NJ.com </a> .

Brennan, a volunteer for Murphy's campaign for governor at the time, has claimed that Alvarez pushed her on to a couch and raped her inside her home after he asked to use her bathroom after a campaign gathering, <a id="27bccf89-97b0-30c9-af3a-c5fb1cfeca7f" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-sexual-assault-accusation-in-new-jersey-exposes-a-national-dilemma-1539542172"> The Wall Street Journal reported in October </a> .

Alvarez has denied the allegations.

<h1> Brennan said her claims were ignored by Murphys administration </h1>

Brennan reported the alleged rape to police immediately after the incident. She testified on Tuesday that Murphy's office failed to act on the claims.

"I had access to the highest positions of power, and at each turn my pleas went unanswered," she said, <a id="2dde19a2-5b15-30de-ab6f-b3abecfff6cb" href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/12/katie-brennan-speaks-for-the-first-time-publicly-my-voice-went-unheard-by-murphy-administration.html"> NJ.com </a> reported. "Somehow it wasn't a priority to address my sexual assault … until it impacted them."

Brennan said that after Murphy was elected in November 2017, she told a friend, Murphy's deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, Justin Braz, about the incident in a private conversation.

Katie Brennan, the chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, holds hands with her husband Travis Miles as she waits to testify before the Select Oversight Committee at the Statehouse

In December 2017, when Brennan believed the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office would bring charges against Alvarez, she gave Braz permission to tell Murphy's transition team about the accusations without using her name.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office did launch an investigation into the incident but did not press charges against Alvarez.

Brennan said that months later she also alerted Murphy's wife, Tammy, about the attack, as well as other high-ranking officials within Murphy's administration.

Read more: <a id="c2be4dff-fdc3-3a44-aa9e-5126692672f0" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/report-cbs-les-moonves-found-sexual-assault-victim-to-keep-her-quiet-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> CBS boss Moonves reportedly tried to silence sex assault allegations with TV roles — and his $120 million severance is in jeopardy </a>

In June, Brennan said she contacted Murphy through his personal email, asking to meet about a “sensitive matter.”

Murphy replied to her email with "Hang in, we're on it," according to testimony.

Soon after, Brennan was told Alvarez was leaving the administration — but it didn't happen immediately.

<h1> Alvarez didnt resign until Brennan went public with her claims </h1>

Alvarez eventually resigned in October, days after Brennan told her story to The Wall Street Journal.

"No survivor should have to tell their story to the newspaper to be heard," Brennan said during her testimony on Tuesday.

Brennan testified that no one on Murphy's staff told her they didn’t believe the rape claims, but that keeping Alvarez in power suggested that his role in the office was "more important than serving justice for the survivor."

Read more: <a id="a3fabc0f-c866-336a-aa18-09dcd9318f52" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-justice-department-official-accused-of-employee-sex-assault-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A senior Justice Department official sexually assaulted an employee and pressured another worker to have sex with him for a promotion </a>

"If I can't receive justice I don’t know who can," Brennan testified. "Not every woman is able to call the chief counsel to the state of New Jersey."

She added: "If someone in my position was able to keep going and keep pursuing and keep alerting people, and does have access to a number of people in very high positions, I don’t know who can get justice."

<h1> More officials will testify in the investigation </h1>

It is unclear who the special legislative committeewill ask to testify next, but Brennan asked that everyone she mentioned in her testimony be questioned.

<a id="f5d2bc51-2df2-34da-a76b-e5449f51fce0" href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/12/katie-brennan-has-spoken-whats-next-in-the-murphy-staffer-sexual-assault-investigation.html"> In her testimony </a> she named Murphy; Murphy’s deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, Justin Braz; Chief Counsel Matt Platkin; Chief of Staff Pete Cammarano; Deputy Chief of Staff Parimal Gar; campaign attorney Jonathan Berkon; and Chief Ethics Officer Heather Taylor.

<a id="d04f69ac-8406-3c54-a9e8-5805a3002804" href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2018/12/a-half-dozen-top-staffers-knew-about-sexual-assault-claims-for-months-but-murphy-insists-he-was-in-the-dark.html#incart_river_index"> During a news conference on Wednesday </a> , Murphy did not reveal if he would agree to testify but said his administration would cooperate if the investigation is "solutions-focused and not political."

Murphy also said he did not know about Brennan's allegations until after Alvarez resigned.

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A state official accused an aide for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy of rape. Then, she said, officials ignored her claims.

Students at California State University San Marcos, in San Marcos, California, argued at a recent "Whiteness Forum" that the Christian children's show "VeggieTales" is racist because all of the villains use non-white-sounding accents.

The forum held last Thursday was part of a class called "The Communication of Whiteness," taught by professor Dreama Moon.

For the event, students presented projects including "White Avoidance," "Civilized vs. Uncivilized," "Kill the Land, Kill the Indian," "White Women's Role in White Supremacy," "Gun Ownership and Racial Bias," according to <a id="ec2f17d3-7245-3c68-abcb-e41e13e8d61c" href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/university-hosts-critical-look-at-whiteness-forum/"> The College Fix </a> .

In the project about "VeggieTales," a student who worked on the presentation told The College Fix that accents of the evil characters in the show sounded like they were Latino or from other minority backgrounds, while the heroes of the show sounded white.

The project, titled "Children in the Church," said that whiteness in the Bible is "seen as "good.'"

"When kids see the good white character triumph over the bad person of color character they are taught that white is right and minorities are the source of evil," the project stated.

The lead characters from the show, which first aired in 1993, are a red tomato named Bob, and a cucumber named Larry.

Read more: <a id="b704fe70-5db2-3406-a86c-056c83562d84" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-says-doctor-wouldnt-treat-mother-who-doesnt-speak-english-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A California woman claims that a doctor wouldn't treat her mother because she doesn't speak English </a>

The show's villains include a zucchini named Mr. Nezzer and a group of peas called the French Peas, which speak in broken French accents.

For the majority of the show's run, both Bob the Tomato, Mr. Nezzer, and some of the French Peas were voiced by Phil Vischer, one of the creators of the show.

Former "VeggieTales" writer and narrator Eric Metaxas told <a id="9116525f-82ac-3dff-a17e-cbb529b81891" href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/calif-university-whiteness-panel-claims-veggie-tales-is-racist/?fbclid=IwAR2j2K22pOkMMpmQyaTvGpOq6EU8xAJXQeCbM-7pYPBaWfdyHIgNq4DQwpE"> PJ Media </a> that the show isn’t racist.

"All vegetables are part of one race, even though they are of many colors. They are all descended from the same parents — the Adam and Eve of vegetables, who foolishly ate a forbidden fruit (irony?) and screwed everything up for all vegetables descended from them," Metaxas told <a id="9116525f-82ac-3dff-a17e-cbb529b81891" href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/calif-university-whiteness-panel-claims-veggie-tales-is-racist/?fbclid=IwAR2j2K22pOkMMpmQyaTvGpOq6EU8xAJXQeCbM-7pYPBaWfdyHIgNq4DQwpE"> PJ Media </a> . "At least I'm pretty sure that's the story."

In an <a id="0c74a338-6b3e-361f-a67f-e802e1cb18f7" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/01/why-do-cartoon-villains-speak-in-foreign-accents/549527/"> Atlantic article published earlier this year </a> , sociolinguist Calvin Gidney said villains are often characterized with foreign accents.

He started studying the concept after watching "The Lion King," during which he noticed Scar spoke with a British accent and his minion hyenas used "African American-sounding and Latino-sounding" dialects.

"Villainy is marked just by sounding different," he said.

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College students suggest that the popular Christian kids' show 'VeggieTales' is racist

The body of <a id="1cb9c622-b057-314d-aad2-2a7d3669d38f" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/carla-stefaniak-disappeared-in-costa-rica-while-celebrating-her-birthday-2018-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Carla Stefaniak, who went missing in Costa Rica last week </a> , was found near the US tourist's Airbnb, and the property's security guard has been arrested, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Costa Rica's head of the Judicial Investigation Department, Walter Espinoza, told <a id="730d6544-312c-3910-aed8-00bf041f151c" href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Carla-Stefaniak-Missing-Costa-Rica-Body-Found-501912242.html"> NBC Miami </a> that the body found partially buried near the Airbnb where Stefaniak had been staying was identified as the woman.

An autopsy revealed that Stefaniak died of head trauma.

Stefaniak, who lived in Miami, was in Costa Rica last week to celebrate her 36th birthday with her sister-in-law, April Burton.

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Burton flew home on November 27, and Stefaniak planned on catching a flight the next day — but she never boarded the plane.

On November 27, after having an Uber driver giver her a tour of San Jose, she returned to her Airbnb around 5 p.m. to find the power was out and it was "raining crazy," according to <a id="523280a2-5891-3814-a162-38864ef38f6c" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carla-stefaniak-us-tourist-disappears-in-costa-rica-last-message/"> text messages to a friend seen by CBS News </a> .

She said it was “pretty sketchy,” and later told a friend she was thirsty and was going to ask the security guard of the Airbnb to buy her some water, <a id="b63d74e1-83c7-3488-af3b-9989f05b8204" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-florida-woman-who-vanished-costa-rica-family-woman-who-n943661"> NBC News reported </a> .

All communication stopped at 9 p.m.

Espinoza announced on Tuesday that 32-year-old Bismark Espinosa Martinez, a security guard for the Airbnb property where Stefaniak was staying, had been arrested after giving contradictory statements to the police.

It remains unclear what Martinez has been charged with.

Martinez originally told the owner of Stefaniak's Airbnb that he saw the woman get into a car with her bags at 5 a.m. on November 28.

But after Stefaniak didn’t board the plane and was reported missing, police searched the Airbnb.

They found blood in the apartment, and found Stefaniak's body partially buried nearby, covered in plastic bags.

Stefaniak's family members have flown to Costa Rica amid the investigation not her death.

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A California-based startup is encouraging toddlers to wear makeup with its new products.

Petite 'N Pretty founder Samantha Cutler, the former chief of product development at Stila Cosmetics, said the makeup for youngsters should promote creativity and expression — and the words "petite" and "pretty" have nothing to do with it.

"Young creatives are changing the way the world sees pretty by redefining it on their terms with a next-gen point of view that celebrates sparkle in everyone," <a id="7f210c99-c245-3348-a567-33482cfeda7a" href="https://www.petitenpretty.com/pages/our-story"> Petite 'N Pretty's website reads </a> . "This is about good old-fashioned fun."

But some believe that the <a id="88680ac6-b759-3e5d-a12a-f9ea8bba7860" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2017/05/18/self-made-women-wealth-beauty-gold-mine/#659cf53f2a3a"> $445-billion-dollar beauty industry </a> expanding into options for children could have harmful consequences by shaping what they believe is beautiful.

The brand's website and Instagram feature images of young girls wearing full faces of makeup, and some feel that the brand oversexualizes children.

Petite 'N Pretty's makeup rage features lip glosses, eye shadows, glitter and more, with products priced between $16 and $250.

The products are marketed to children aged four to 18, particularly Gen Z influencers on Instagram, YouTube and other social media outlets. Buyers on the company's website have to be at least 16.

People have been quick to criticize the new makeup line, with <a id="c9f0e874-188a-3655-ae17-be03651e3b64" href="https://www.allure.com/story/petite-n-pretty-makeup-brand-for-kids"> Allure's beauty editor, Sable Young </a> , saying the way it's marketed could be problematic.

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"I balk at the idea of marketing to kids the same kinds of language and imagery that funnels certain specific aesthetics and beauty standards into seemingly innocuous, sparkly packaging," she wrote.

Young added that the company's name itself could be harmful to children.

"With a brand called Petite 'N' Pretty, the message is upfront in the name. "Pretty" and "petite" are both words that are just modifiers, but in the context of beauty and body image, they take on a meaning we know all too well," she wrote.

<a id="7ff9776f-fe36-3520-a766-2d990aacba7e" href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90273439/beauty-brands-keep-your-hands-off-my-four-year-old?fbclid=IwAR0bIdDr_SzxaXhsldbdp5XbiuXIDMeG-tA7ovlirDLO_ccyMyAk1aPNqsg"> Fast Company's Elizabeth Segran </a> said the use of "petite" and "pretty" promotes a "focus on superficial looks, rather than intelligence or character."

She also noted that the name is a "uniquely gendered concept."

"Most brands encourage four-year-old boys to aspire to be brave, strong, and smart," she wrote.

Meanwhile, Petite 'N Pretty has said the word "petite" references age, not size.

"We believe that pretty is a feeling and petites should never be underestimated," the c <a id="5330456e-a4d6-3236-a521-ba0d261e6f0e" href="https://www.petitenpretty.com/pages/faq"> ompany's website says </a> . “Inspired by the way young creatives are changing how the world sees pretty by redefining it on their terms, we wanted our name to put them and their creative expression front and center."

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A startup called Petite ’N Pretty wants toddlers to start wearing makeup

A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after telling police he shot a 19-year-old woman in the head after she hired him on Craigslist to kill her.

Joseph Lopez, 23, entered a plea deal with prosecutors after initially being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Natalie Bollinger, of Broomfield, Colorado, in December of last year, according to <a id="b34c1e11-bda9-3a8f-a8e1-4ec7c48f15c6" href="https://www.wlky.com/article/man-sentenced-for-murder-of-19-year-old-who-allegedly-hired-him-on-craigslist-to-kill-her/25390628"> WLKY </a> .

According to court records seen by <a id="c685ec0f-c289-31fa-a373-59b8ae827d9a" href="https://kdvr.com/2018/12/03/man-accused-of-killing-natalie-bollinger-pleads-guilty-to-second-degree-murder/"> KDVR </a> , Lopez told police he had responded to a Craigslist ad titled "I want to put a hit on myself," that he said was created by Bollinger.

Lopez said he found the ad in the "women seeking men" category of Craigslist.

An arrest affidavit said that Bollinger had a history of methamphetamine and heroine use, and at the time of her death had a "potentially lethal level of heroin on the blood."

He told police that Bollinger asked him to shoot her, but he tried to change her mind.

The pair had texted each other dozens of times before meeting and they drove around for "an extended period" before Bollinger’s death, prosecutors said.

When Lopez realized he wouldn't be able change Bollinger's mind, he parked the car they were driving in and shot her, according to court documents.

He said he knelt down in front of Bollinger and they said a prayer together before he shot her with the gun Lopez claimed Bollinger provided.

An autopsy revealed that Bollinger died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

After shooting the teen, Lopez left the scene with Bollinger's purse and the gun, according to court records.

Read more: <a id="a74fe260-4c0e-3849-a4ba-e7620251bcc1" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/chris-watts-googled-marrying-your-mistress-before-murdering-wife-and-two-kids-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> In the days before he murdered his wife and 2 kids, Chris Watts was Googling the price of an Audi and 'marrying your mistress' </a>

Prosecutors said Lopez should have called 911 after finding Bollinger's Craigslist ad.

"He didn’t respond as a human being," chief deputy district attorney Ally Barber told WLKY. "He responded as a predator."

During an interview with investigators, Lopez said he had a journal in high school that included fictional stories of kidnapping, torturing and executing people, according to <a id="446eea48-fcca-3b9e-a4fe-c45038815073" href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/03/natalie-bollinger-craigslist-murder-guilty-plea/"> The Denver Post. </a>

Due to the plea deal, Lopez will now spend a maximum of 48 years in prison, instead of the possible life sentence that a first-degree murder charge carries.

At Lopez's sentencing, Bollinger's father, Ted Bollinger, accused Lopez of taking advantage of his daughter.

"She was vulnerable and drugged," he said. "You premeditated. Brutally shot and killed my baby. I asked for an eye for an eye. You have been protected. The Bollinger family had no say in this. This is a deal with the devil."

<ul><li> Read more about crimes on INSIDER: </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/authorities-say-that-patrick-braxton-andrew-died-in-mexico-in-october-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Authorities say that school teacher missing in Mexico died ‘at the hands of a criminal organization’</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/amazon-ordered-to-disclose-echo-alexa-recordings-murder-case-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A judge has ordered Amazon to hand over recordings from an Echo to help solve a double murder case</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/married-marines-birthday-ball-murder-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">2 married Marines went to the Corps' birthday ball. Now one is charged with murder.</a> </li></ul>

A man says a 19-year-old woman hired him to kill her on Craigslist, and alleges he tried to change her mind before shooting her

George H.W. Bush's service dog Sully is headed to a military medical center to help wounded soldiers after spending the last six months alongside the former president, who died on Friday, at 94.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/george-hw-bushs-service-dog-yellow-lab-sully-mourning-goes-viral-2018-12" id="bac05e98-07b9-31e5-ac2a-70c0a57dc6cd"> Sully paid final tribute to the president on Sunday as he was photographed guarding Bush's casket </a> . Bush's spokesman, Jim McGrath captioned a photo of the touching moment, "Mission Complete."

Sully will now spend the holiday season with America's VetDogs, which trains and places service dogs with disabled military veterans and first responders, in Smithtown, New York, before heading to his new job.

Come January, he will join the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center's Facility Dog Program.

He will work with two other dogs "to assist with physical and occupational therapy to wounded soldiers and active duty personnel during their journey to recovery at Walter Reed Bethesda," America’s VetDogs president John Miller told the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sully-george-bush-death-service-dog_us_5c049664e4b0606a15b6905c" id="73409a11-fb7e-30d7-a426-5d599e0e2c46"> Huffington Post </a> .

Read more: <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/george-hw-bush-life-and-legacy-pictures-president-2018-12" id="12013dae-627d-31cf-a092-e3dab295527f"> PHOTOS: The life and legacy of George H.W. Bush </a>

Bush's son, former President George W. Bush wrote an Instagram post thanking Sully for his service.

"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 he brought to 41," Bush wrote.

Bush was matched with Sully by America's VetDogs in June, just a couple months after his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, died.

"A great joy to welcome home the newest member of our family, 'Sully,' a beautiful — and beautifully trained — lab from <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericasVetDogs" id="4a74d74e-266f-3e85-a561-eb9dde74c713"> @AmericasVetDogs </a> ," <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeHWBush/status/1011379594480545792" id="9f2fc1a3-ad47-31ef-ad84-1bcb2ee29473"> Bush wrote on Twitter at the time </a> . "Could not be more grateful, especially for their commitment to our veterans."

Bush and the two-year-old Labrador were often pictured together on social media, where they were called "best friends."

Sully even <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sullyhwbush/?utm_source=ig_embed" id="c2da101b-9c40-3e16-aa9a-bcd8e754d070"> had his own social media account </a> , where photos of the dog and Bush were regularly shared with sweet captions about the pair.

Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/president-george-hw-bush-last-words-to-family-james-baker-2018-12" id="828d9300-f7e6-3a22-ad64-078d41bc2433"> George H.W. Bush used his last words to tell his son he loved him </a>

The dog was named after <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/tom-hanks-movie-hudson-river-plane-crash-2016-6?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="8162e990-517d-3e39-a5c5-6d3653ae9704"> airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger </a> , who safely landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009, <a href="http://time.com/5469178/sully-president-dog-george-hw-bush/" id="537f6ef1-3bd3-3616-ada4-f900e3fb7b1a"> according to TIME </a> .

Sully was trained to support the late president through his daily activities, and the pair quickly became close pals.

Sully can perform a two-page list of commands, including answering the phone and fetching items, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/02/politics/sully-hw-bush-41/index.html" id="6539c50e-33fc-31ef-a77a-f751df16c8ae"> CNN </a> .

"As one person said, he can do just about anything except make you a martini, but not to worry, he can go get you someone to make you a martini," Bush spokesman McGrath said in June.

Miller said in a statement that it was an "honor" to have Sully serve by Bush’s side.

"As a true patriot and visionary, President Bush will forever be viewed by people with disabilities and their families as a hero through his efforts to enact the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are forever grateful to his service to the American people," Miller said.

<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/george-hw-bush-dead-obituary-2018-4" id="0b2907e7-cbb9-3bd1-afe8-bac3b5bf87a3"> The elder Bush died Friday at 94 </a> . He had a form of Parkinson's disease and was hospitalized periodically in recent years for pneumonia.

<ul><li> Read more about George H.W. Bush: </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-george-hw-bush-avoided-being-eaten-by-cannibals-in-world-war-ii-2017-12">George H.W. Bush narrowly avoided being eaten by Japanese soldiers during World War II</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/george-hw-bush-death-reactions-2018-11">Former US presidents, Queen Elizabeth, the Dalai Lama, and more react to the death of former president George H.W. Bush</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/note-george-hw-bush-left-for-bill-clinton-in-the-oval-office-2018-12">George H.W. Bush gave Bill Clinton key advice in a graceful note left in the Oval Office</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legacy-policy-george-hw-bush-2018-12">Key moments from George H.W. Bush's legacy</a> </li></ul>

NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/life-size-transformers-costume-new-york-comic-con-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="3e88ce48-f374-3ccf-a37b-d74d6d1edcc1"> Meet the man who builds life-size Transformers costumes to wear to Comic Con </a>

George H.W. Bush’s service dog Sully was only with the president for six months. Here's where he's going now

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