Tucker Budzyn’s owner breaks her silence after beloved golden retriever dies aged 8
The internet’s beloved golden retriever, Tucker Budzyn, has died following a battle with cancer, with his owner sharing a heartbreaking statement.
The heartbreaking news about the eight-year-old pup came just less than a week after his owner, influencer Courtney Budzyn, revealed his lymphoma diagnosis.
"I thought that was the last sad video I was gonna make, but it’s not," she said, speaking to his devoted fans.
Clutching a box that seemingly contained the dog’s ashes, she announced: "Tucker passed away Wednesday, unexpectedly."
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Courtney noted that while Tucker had been responding 'really well' to his cancer treatment, she recently learned that the disease had spread to his intestine.
The devastated owner explained: "The treatment left a hole where cancer was, and he got an infection that seemed to hit him overnight.
"I want you to know I tried to do everything I could. I did everything."
As she sobbed, the influencer added: "His temperature kept rising, and there was nothing - nothing was changing it. We had to let him go."
Speaking of the beloved dog, she said: "There’s nothing in this world that I wouldn’t have done for him. He was literally part of me. He was part of my soul. It feels like I lost a body part."
Tucker joined Courtney's family when he was eight weeks old in June 2018, and she began filming him.
The family grew amazed at how many people viewed his Instagram account, as he quickly gained millions of followers.
"I’m so sorry, guys. I know he was yours, too," she said in the announcement video.
"I knew that I couldn’t come on here and not be broken, but I couldn’t wait to tell you any longer because I keep getting messages, saying, 'Please, Tucker, get well soon'.
"It’s eating me alive," she said.
Courtney noted that Tucker 'literally saved my life', as she added: "And I don’t expect you to understand. Because I never showed how bad things got on my end. But he saw every part of it, and he attached himself to me."
The devastated influencer concluded: "I don’t know how to live, but I have to. He didn’t lie by my side for all those years just for me to give up."
Their story together is also the subject of the upcoming picture book Of All the Sniffs I Love the Most, which is set to be released in November.
Mia Williams