All dogs are good dogs, but service dogs are an extra special kind of good.
I think my pup is clever for tricking me into more treats, but a fully-trained service dog is on a whole other level. Depending on the disability the dog is intended to aid with, they can learn to everything from safely crossing roads to bringing medication to alerting first responders.
While we’ve probably all seen a service dog or two when out and about, they don’t usually get a lot of press.
Most of the time, these good dogs are working hard while showing more patience and politeness in public spaces than a lot of people do.
A few get famous, though.
One such dog is Sully H.W. Bush, a yellow labrador who served former President George H.W. Bush in the last six months of his life.
While people already appreciated Sully’s good work, it was his presence at Bush’s funeral that caused his fame to soar. He stayed with the casket throughout the service.
A photo of Sully curled up in front of the casket with the caption “Mission complete” still makes my eyes well.
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Sully graduated from his training with America’s VetDogs with a two-page list of jobs he can perform.
Not only can he fetch items, he [knows]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_(dog) how to answer a phone or summon help in an emergency.
He was named after Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the retired pilot famous for landing a plane on the Hudson River in 2009.
After the late president was laid to rest, people wondered what would happen to Sully.
Don’t worry; he has an awesome new mission. He has joined the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s facility dog program in Bethesda, Maryland.
There he will keep on helping veterans every day.
As part of his new job, he also got a new uniform and military rank.
In a ceremony streamed live on Facebook, Sully was sworn in and became a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, second class.
Also, the whole ceremony was gosh darned adorable.
There was a personalized oath of service read out in Sully’s honor.
“Do you affirm or pant as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy that you will support, comfort and cheer warriors and their families, active duty and retired? That you embrace our staff and bear unconditional love and solace, especially on busy days? That you take this obligation freely, without any promise of treats or tummy rubs and that you will faithfully discharge the duties to provide joy, love and nurturing for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and sailors and their families?”
And then he shook a paw to acknowledge his oath.
Which is the point when my heart completely turned to mush and I couldn’t stop the sniffles anymore.
Before starting his new job, Sully even got to meet his namesake on The Today Show !
Continuing to serve veterans was George H.W. Bush’s wish for Sully going forward.
Valerie Cramer, Sully’s trainer, told PEOPLE, “In his new role, Sully will visit injured veterans, helping to provide comfort during rehabilitation center sessions and visit with families during what can be an emotional and very difficult time.”
h/t: Associated Press