One of the dogs who played Duke, the Bush’s Baked Beans mascot, has passed away after a battle with canine cancer.
His real name was Sam, and the sad news of his passing was initially shared on Facebook by David Odom — a neighbor of Sam’s owner — and later reported by CBS News.
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“Most know him as ‘Duke’ the Bush’s Baked Beans dog. His name is actually Sam. He lived in Apopka with our friend Susan his owner. She trains animals to work in commercials. Not just hers but others as well,” Odom explained. “Sadly she had to euthanize Sam yesterday due to an aggressive cancer he was suffering from.”
“She is as we are heartbroken. Here is a photo from his better days,” Odom added. “He was a very special dog to all who ever knew or had the pleasure of meeting him. He is and will be missed.”
Shortly thereafter, Bush’s Beans released a statement on Sam’s passing.
“We continue to be overwhelmed by fan interest and their love of Duke,” the company’s statement began. “The relationship between Jay and his beloved dog Duke is the embodiment of the BUSH’S brand, and has been a part of our family story for more than 20 years.”
“During that time, we’ve worked closely with several dogs who portrayed Duke in our commercials, including Sam,” Bush’s Beans added. “While Sam has not worked with us in years, we are saddened by the news of his passing and are grateful to have had him depict Duke.”
“Because Duke is iconic to BUSH’S and so adored by our fans, we will continue to use him in our ads,” the company concluded.
Many fans of the Duke commercials have commented on Sam’s death, flooding social media with messages of sympathy for the lovable dog.
“We are so sorry to hear of Sam’s passing. He helped portray an American Icon,” one fan wrote. “Rest In Peace Sam. Now you can have as much bacon in your baked beans as you’d like.”
The Bush’s Baked Beans dog, Duke, died and I feel like there should be more coverage of this. RIP to a real one pic.twitter.com/0H5veRg9g8
— Evan Priest (@EvanPriest3) July 3, 2018
“So sorry to hear about Sams passing,” someone else said. “A dogs love is the purest form of love this hateful world will eve and has ever seen and only a true dog lover understands the pain of losing that love!”
Another fan of the iconic Bush’s Beans commercials said that they are “heartbroken” over the death of Sam and are sending “prayers to the family” of the beloved pet.
