Truly, a dog is a man’s best friend. And someone who can stand testament to that is none other than Sylvester Stallone. The Rocky star doesn’t forget to pay tribute and show his gratitude to his loved ones. And topping that list is his beloved dog, Butkus.
Before Sylvester Stallone became a household name overnight, he was struggling and in desperate financial times. He hadn’t even thought up of the storyline for Rocky and was living in a tiny apartment in New York, cruising steadily on the poverty line. But there was one and only one loyal friend to keep him company and love him no matter what – Butkus.
Sharing an image on Instagram, the 70-year-old actor reminisced about his best friend. He said, “I absolutely love pictures like this. When I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pairs 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! #man’sbestfriend #BullMastiff #Loyalty #NewYorkCity #AmericanDreams.” The Instagram image shows a young Sylvester Stallone bending and kissing Butkus’ head, while the dog seems to be grinning ear to ear.
He then shared another image, talking about the time when he had to sell his dog, just to make ends meet. This was just before he sat down and famously wrote the script for Rocky within 24 hours, that would catapult him to cult status fame. In the picture, you see Sylvester Stallone with Butkis on his lap. They both look a little forlorn, probably understanding their impending departure. The Red star explained in the caption, “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 so 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… Years later when things got even worse I had to sell him for $40 in front a Seven-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! #NewYork #HellsKitchen #BullMastiff #ItsADogsWorld”.
That is one of the most beautiful fairytales we can have heard in a long time! If you’re ever feeling alone, you know where you can find that unconditional love – in man’s best friend.
