Dog from Bush's Baked Beans commercials dies

As millions of Americans gather for grill-outs this Independence Day, they might well ladle an extra helping of Bush's baked beans for Duke��� or the furry actor who played him, to be precise.

A dog who once portrayed "Duke," the talking canine entrusted� in ads with the Bush's family recipe,�died last week amid a bout with cancer. That's according to David Odom of�Apopka, Florida, who detailed his friendship with the dog's owner in a post online.�

"His name is actually Sam. He lived in Apopka with our friend Susan, his owner. She trains animals to work in commercials," Odom said Thursday on Facebook. "Not just hers but others as well. Sadly she had to euthanize Sam yesterday due to an aggressive cancer he was suffering from.�She is, as we are, heartbroken."

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Sam was one of several dogs over the years to portray Duke, the�dog given the family's secret�recipe in commercials by Bush's spokesman Jay Bush with and determined to sell it. The two have been "the embodiment of the BUSH��S brand" for more than 20 years,�the company said in a statement Tuesday.�

"During that time, we've worked closely with several dogs who portrayed Duke in our commercials, including Sam," the company said in a post on Facebook. "While Sam has not worked with us in years, we are saddened by the news of his passing and are grateful to have had him depict Duke."

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