Gary Daugherty doesn’t know how he got so lucky.

Not only does he have a loving wife, he also has an adoring dog who goes with him almost everywhere.

“I call them my dark-haired, dark-eyed beauties,” he said.

When Daugherty goes on his next deployment with his squadron from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, there will be some sad eyes at their Oak Harbor home.

And Bugaboo, the dog, is no exception.

A year ago, when Daugherty returned from six months away from home, Sarah Daugherty took a video of the reunion between her husband and their dog.

Intended for family and friends to view, the video of Bugaboo’s reaction became an Internet smash, tugging on the heartstrings of millions of viewers.

In the video, Bugaboo first leaps and wraps her paws on Daugherty as he reaches the top of the stairs, crying all the while.

When Daugherty moves to a recliner, Bugaboo jumps into his lap and he cradles her like a baby. She cranes her neck and the cries turn to wails.

“Did you miss daddy?” he said to his dog.

A month after it was posted on YouTube, attention on major news websites catapulted the video into a new stratosphere.

Just recently, the number of views eclipsed 7 million.

Their dog’s emotional reaction touched the Daughertys and, in turn by them sharing it, touched millions of others.

Gary Daugherty said that he’s learned that some people watch the video again to inspire them on a tough day.

He’s been intrigued by the comments on the video, which have exceeded 4,000. Some will question its authenticity or make other off-topic rude remarks. That has led to people he’s never met to self-police the remarks by making enough complaints to get those comments removed.

“Honestly, in many ways, it helped restore a little of my faith in humanity,” he said.

Daugherty said the video is an example of behavior from a dog that’s bonded very closely to him and his wife.

Bugaboo, a 5-year-old Labrador Retriever and Blue Tick Heeler mix, is a constant companion and quite the duck hunting dog.

So when Daugherty, a P-3 Orion pilot for VQ-1, went away for half a year and reappeared, Bugaboo had trouble taking it all in.

Daugherty said “Bug” loves his wife just as much but just hadn’t seen him in a while.

“I can talk to my wife on the phone,” he said. “There’s only so much you can talk to your dog on the phone.”

Daugherty said last June was the first time Bugaboo had wailed in such an emotional way, but she’s since repeated the behavior.

The Daughertys got Bugaboo from friends in Florida four years ago after she gravitated to them during visits and bonded closely.

“Bug chose us,” Gary said.

Their loyal, obedient and loving dog makes them feel grateful to have her. They recently got her certified as a therapy dog to share her with others.

“Even the people who hate dogs, they like her,” Gary said.

“My wife and I pray everyday that we can use Bug to bless others.”

• To see the video titled “Dog sees Dad after being gone over 6 months,” go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC5DXGIC8s8