‘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,’ Sundae’s owner said.
Social media mourns Sundae, remembered for her style
Social media-famous lab, Sundae, died at the age of 12 from cancer.
It all began with a free Craigslist ad and an 18-year-old girl.
It was 2013, and Monet Gamble of North Carolina had just lost her childhood dog and moved out of her parents’ house. A dog lover staring down the world as a newly-minted adult needs a best friend, she decided, and her heart was set on getting a girl. So when Gamble laid eyes on a black lab puppy listed for free, who was not only the last female left in the litter but had a birthday just one day apart from hers, she knew it was fate.
“This is just meant to be, this is perfect,” she thought. And from there, she told USA TODAY, “We just instantly bonded.”
How did Sundae amass a huge online following?
For those who did not have the pleasure of knowing about Ms. Sundae, a Black Lab, during her prolific internet reign, it’s difficult to describe just how beloved she was online. With 1.8 million followers and 75 million likes on TikTok, as well as 380,00 followers on Instagram, no one can argue that Sundae was not something of a small-time internet celebrity.
Like many pet accounts that rise to such popularity, the sheer size of Sundae’s following was never the intention or expectation of Gamble when she picked her pup up in May of 2013. Like many pet owners, Gamble made social media accounts for Sundae, not with the intention of becoming an influencer, but rather to share what she saw as the cutest puppy in the world.
“It started with just having fun with her,” Gamble said. “Just being creative. She’s always just been very agreeable and just go with the flow.”
Sundae was perhaps best known for the iconic outfits she wore to her many “jobs,” which ranged from security guard to pharmacist. Like any respectable fashionista, she had looks for lounging and just being herself, too.
Ant bites led to Sundae’s viral status
How did a fairly normal social media page turn into one that showcased Sundae’s massive collection of pants, wigs, uniforms, dresses, earrings and other clothing and accessories? For a pretty practical reason, actually.
“She had ant bites on her stomach from the park, and so I had put some cream on her stomach,” Gamble said. “She kept trying to lick it off, so I had some old pants I put on her. I put the pants on her and she got really excited, like zooming around the house. I just recorded it, put it on TikTok, and it went viral.”
From there, it progressed from Gamble cutting up old pants of her own to buying kids’ clothes and outfits intended for pets. Soon came the uniforms, wigs and more.
“She enjoyed getting dressed up. It was something different. And when I would dress her up, she would just get really excited, so that’s what we started doing,” Gamble said.
Fans share outpouring of support after Sundae’s cancer diagnosis
As Sundae’s fame grew, Gamble shared other things about their life together, eventually giving fans a glimpse of the lab’s two-year battle with cancer. Gamble’s utter devotion to helping her best friend beat the disease drew even more followers interested in how everything from home-cooked meals to supplements helped on the pup’s journey.
“It was definitely exciting seeing the page take off the way it did and to read the comments about, you know, how Sundae is affecting these people and how it’s the best part of their day and it brightens their day,” Gamble said. “They could be having the worst day ever, then they go and Sundae pops up on their page and it makes them forget about the bad day they had at work or just whatever.”
Despite Gamble’s dedication to Sundae’s health, her family eventually received the devastating news that the 12-year-old lab’s cancer had spread and progressed too far.
On May 14, Gamble shared Sundae’s prognosis with followers. The next day, she shared that Sundae was having trouble eating, but that she was happy to enjoy a meal of McDonald’s.
Sundae dies after battle with cancer
On May 16, Gamble shared the post she and her followers had dreaded: Sundae passed peacefully at home.
Comments beneath the post were sincere and heartfelt, with over 18,000 people sharing their love for the lab and thanking her family for brightening their days.
“Thanks for making our days better when we couldn’t do it ourselves Ms. Sundae. I hope you catch that squirrel wherever you are now. Rest easy,” said one commenter, echoed by another, saying, “I found Ms. Sundae around 2021 when I was going through massive depression. She made me feel so much better binge-watching everything she did. I’ll never forget Sundae.”
Sundae’s final moments captured on video
As condolences poured in, however, something a bit unexpected happened. Gamble shared that when the veterinarian came to her home to perform the euthanasia, her mother, also known as Sundae’s beloved grandmother, was there to offer support. Gamble said she very specifically did not want phones or cameras to be present in this moment; instead, she wanted it to be just them and Sundae getting their undivided attention.
Her mom, however, wanted to take a video. It may sound morbid, she told her daughter, but you’re going to want to remember this, I promise.
Sundae’s peaceful transition was caught on film. When Gamble watched it back, she realized her mom had been right. The video was something she was happy to have, and it was something she ultimately decided to share.
“At first, I was kind of like I didn’t know if this was going to be too much,” she said. “But I was like, I owe it to the followers to see how peaceful her passing was because they helped me throughout her life for his medical expenses and just everything to make it possible for her to even get this far.”
Commenters beneath the touching tribute told Gamble that it helped them not only to say goodbye to Sundae but to better understand what euthanasia looks like and make them less afraid of staying by their own pets’ side when the time comes.
“Thank you for showing people that there’s nothing to fear and they can stay with their babies until the end. Goodbye Sundae. We’re going to miss you so much, Sunny Bunny,” one commenter said beneath Gamble’s post.
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,” Gamble added. “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.”
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