Sylvester Stallone’s dog tribute – a heartwarming ode to his best friend!

Sylvester Stallone's dog tribute
Sylvester Stallone’s dog tribute is making waves the world over.

There aren’t many memories in life that linger on quite like lost love. It doesn’t really matter whether you are an eight year old kid or a grown up man, the thing about memories is when they hit you, you are taken for an emotional ride through time.

And if the dear one you’ve lost is a dog — it remains paw-printed in your heart forever.

Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone, best known for donning the one-man-army roles in “Rocky” and “Rambo,” hasn’t really forgotten his long lost dog from three decades ago.

Sylvester Stallone’s dog tribute is an epic story.

Stallone dog Rambo
Even Rocky needs a dog!

Recently Stallone took to Instagram to share a heartwarming tribute to his old dog Butkus, whom he had adopted in the years prior to his success in Hollywood.

Sylvester Stallone’s dog tribute

Sylvester Stallone dog lover

“When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pair of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of being successful were as far away as the sun… But I had my dog, BUTKUS, my best friend, my confidant, Who always laughed at my jokes, and put up with my moods, and was the one living thing that loved me for who I was!”

In a follow-up post, Stallone shares how monumental was Butkus’s support to him while he worked on the screenplay of a movie regarding a struggling boxer’s rise to fame — Rocky!

Sylvester Stallone pet dog

1971… Since we’re on the subject of “man’s best friend” this is myself and Butkus as a puppy, we were both, thin, hungry and living in a flophouse above a subway stop, I used to say this apartment had “

… Hot and cold running roaches” anyway there was not much to do except spend time with each other and that’s where I started to learn the craft of screenwriting. Since I never went out, I relied on his companionship, And actually it was his idea to write Rocky, but don’t tell anyone….

Dog Rocky Stallone
Butkus shared screen space with Sylvester Stallone in Rocky and Rocky II.
See Also: Dog loss quotes that understand your pain. 
stallone loves dogs
Years later when things got even worse I had to sell him for $40 in front of a 7-Eleven store, because I couldn’t afford food, then like A modern day miracle, the screenplay for Rocky sold, and I could buy and buy him back, but the new owner knew I was desperate, and charged me $15,000 … He was worth every penny!
Hollywood dog lover stallone

In the fairy tale ending, Stallone and his dog came out as eventual winners as “Rocky” (1976), the iconic story of an underdog boxer, became a box-office hit! Not only that, but it also won an Oscar for Best Picture, launching Stallone to stardom.

Rocky movie dog
Butkus appeared in ‘Rocky’ and ‘Rocky II’ too!

Dogs shape our lives in ways more than one, never to be forgotten, their love stays even beyond the doors of death.

Don’t we all have a little Butkus of our own, looking at us with love, across the years gone by 🙂

On that thought, also see Fiona Apple’s tribute to her dog and these dog lovers who did awesome things for their dogs!

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