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Sylvester Stallone's Tribute To His 'Rocky' Dog Butkus Is Just Beautiful

"The one living thing that loved me for who I was!"
Ron Dicker
By 

General Assignment Reporter, HuffPost

This throwback of one man and his dog packs an emotional punch. Sylvester Stallone posted a sweet tribute Thursday to Butkus, the bull mastiff who was his training partner in “Rocky” and “best friend” in real life.

Two photos the 70-year-old actor published on Instagram perfectly captured their bond.

Stallone recalled when he was broke and living in a New York City “flophouse” with “hot and cold running roaches.”

Butkus was there for him in the truest sense. “I relied on him for his companionship,” Sly wrote.

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…. 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! #New York City #HellsKitchen #BullMastiff #It'sADogsWorld. #MoreToCome#inspiration #ThunderingYourHeart #GoingThedistance

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on

Man and beast came out winners. “Rocky” (1976), the iconic story of an underdog boxer, became a hit and earned the Oscar for Best Picture, launching Stallone to stardom.

Butkus (named for the Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus) put in such a strong performance that he returned to appear in “Rocky II.” He died in 1981.

Here’s Rocky Balboa (Stallone) getting Butkus as a gift from love interest Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire) in the original ...

And the two training together.

Good times.

H/T Entertainment Tonight

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