When You Learn Why This Toy Is Sitting Alone On These Steps You’ll Need To Hug Your Dog Immediately

To you that plush toy above of Sully from Monsters, Inc. might be just another stuffed animal, but to one special dog named Walter St Bernard that toy was everything.

I first introduced you bros to Walter St Bernard (aka Wally) last September with this video of him demolishing a cheeseburger in as fast as it would take you or I to swallow one bite. At the time I didn’t elaborate on just how special of a pooch Wally was.

Wally, or ‘Wally Burgers‘ as his owner and handler calls him, was a certified service dog trained to detect seizures in people with epilepsy, and also a therapy dog who would go to schools and hospitals working with children and the sick. As you can see below, Wally was extremely loved by everyone he came in contact with:

Wally St Bernard was also a bit of an Instagram celebrity, with over 11,000 followers he gained a big enough following to garner attention from FunnyOrDie (who he met with a few weeks ago about boosting his profile).

But back to that toy above, the Monsters, Inc. plushy. Wally had a soft spot for all things Monsters, Inc., his two favorite toys were Sully and Mike Wazowski:

So why isn’t Wally in the picture above? Well, yesterday the world lost one of its greatest dogs. After being suddenly stricken with Dilated Cardiomyopathy while in New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Wally was forced to enter the doggy ICU, where he fought for days before his internal organs gave out and he had to be euthanized.

The outpouring of love on Instagram has been unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, with thousands of big dog owners all over the world sharing their favorite Wally moments, and stories on how this big pooch touched their lives. A fund was created to help pay for Wally’s vet bills and reached over $9,000. Toys were sent to Wally’s owner and the doggy hospital instead of flowers:

And alas, the James P. ‘Sulley’ Sullivan plushy toy is left to sit alone on the steps of the Plaza Hotel as the dog world mourns Walter St Bernard. He was a dog who was well loved. I had absolutely no reason to write this post other than my desire to share with you bros the tale of a special dog who touched many lives. Though if any of you read my rant a few weeks ago on the Beagle winning the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show ‘Best In Show’ you know I’m a bit crazy, and have a fondness for big dogs.

Rest in peace, Wally Burgers: