Tucker Budzyn, internet’s beloved golden retriever, has died at the age of 8. The heartbreaking news was shared by his mom, Courtney Budzyn, who revealed in a social media post Saturday that Tucker died unexpectedly Wednesday, just two weeks after being diagnosed with lymphoma.
“Tucker’s gone. Tucker passed away on Wednesday unexpectedly. He was doing really well with treatment, but we didn’t know that he had lymphoma in his intestines,” Courtney said.
“And since the chemo was working so good and he was going into remission, it left a hole in his intestine where the cancer was, and he got an infection that seemed to hit him overnight. And we woke up and we rushed him in and we thought… we thought we were going to beat the infection.”
She added, “He was so weak, and we got him on antibiotics and fluids, but it was too late. We tried to save him, but we couldn’t save him. He’s home now. I want you to know I tried to do everything I could. I did everything. His temperature kept raising and there was nothing… and nothing was changing it. We had to let him go.”
Cancer diagnosis
In a social media post on August 30, Courtney revealed Tucker’s diagnosis and said treatment had already begun. His treatment included the CHOP chemotherapy protocol, along with herbal therapies under the care of a veterinary oncologist. After just one week, she said Tucker was considered to be in partial remission.
Despite his diagnosis, Tucker remained active. Courtney said he was still swimming, going for walks, visiting parks and enjoying life, although he was a little “dumpier” than usual.
Born in 2018, Tucker was adopted as a puppy by Courtney and Mike Budzyn in Michigan. He went on to become an internet sensation through his funny and heartwarming videos, building millions of followers across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms.
In Saturday’s video, Courtney paid an emotional tribute to her beloved dog.
“Tucker, I love you so much. You saved my life. 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,” she said.
She concluded, “I’m so sorry. I love you guys so much. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us and for Tucker. Without Tucker, I wouldn’t have any of this. Without you guys, I wouldn’t have anything that I have. Thank you so much.”
