A friendly Labrador retriever, rescued from a free Craigslist advertisement by an 18-year-old girl 12 years ago, who needed a new best friend, turned out to be the most perfect dog she could ever have imagined. Sundae, the black Labrador retriever, pressed her pawprints on hearts from all over, all walks of life and served as a gentle reminder that every day is special and matters.
In 2013, North Carolina resident, Monet Gamble had just been overcome with grief when her childhood dog had passed. Gamble had just moved out of her parents’ home and decided she needed a new canine companion. And fate stepped in; an ad on Craigslist offering free puppies appeared, and the one remaining female pup was exactly what Monet had dreamed of finding.
The two instantly bonded!
In a million years, Monet never dreamed that the puppy she named Sundae would become an internet sensation; she just enjoyed sharing the puppy’s cuteness online – both TikTok and Instagram were fun. Sundae had the best and sweetest disposition and seemed to be a natural in front of the camera.
So here’s how it happened. Sundae was a fashionista. No kidding! And it all began one day when the pup had multiple bites on her abdomen from insect bites when at the park. No matter what kind of soothing creams Monet would rub on the dog’s itchy sores, Sundae would lick them off. So what’s a dog mom to do? She had a pair of old pants and put them on her; Sundae loved them and immediately starting doing “zoomies around the house.” The video instantly went viral on TikTok.
And that’s how it started. Monet would soon be wearing kids’ clothing and original outfits along with matching hats and even wigs.
she enjoyed getting dressed up. it was something different. And when i sould dress her up, she would just get really excited, so that’s what we started doing.
Sundae’s fame quickly grew, but when she was diagnosed with cancer, social media followers became even more engaged and realized how closely Monet and Sundae had been bonded. Monet made her pup homecooked meals and added supplements. After two years, Sundae had been able to “ring the bell” – at least for awhile.
Their devotion to each other always promised to provide the happiness and inspiration for 1.8 million followers, 75 million likes on TikTok, as well as 380,00 followers on Instagram.
Sundae’s wardrobe included pants, wigs, uniforms, dresses, earrings and other accessories – including matching nail polishes.
Sadly, Sundae’s cancer did return, and at 12-years-old the disease had been causing her too much pain and discomfort to continue. It was on May 14, that Monet shared her dog’s prognosis, and the next day, Sundae had been having trouble breathing because of the damage to her lungs.
Two days later, on May 16, Sundae passed away peacefully at home being hugged and kissed by her best friend. More than 18,000 people shared their love in comments thanking Sundae for making their lives happier.
In their final moments together, Gamble summed it up better than anyone else could:
And that’s the story of Sundae.
She was suffering and I was happy for her. I was so happy to see her life relax and her breathing slow down and she just peacefully went to sleep. She’s at peace and she’s resting and that’s what she deserves …. I was just so happy that she had such a beautiful life.
Many thanks and of course our kindest thoughts to Sundae’s family for sharing her life with us.
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