Slate slammed for article about George H.W. Bush's service dog, Sully: 'This was clearly written by a cat'

Come for a beloved presidential pet, and the internet comes for you.

In the days since the death of former President George H.W. Bush on Nov. 30, hearts have been warmed by the presence of his service dog, Sully. A photo of the Labrador retriever resting by his owner’s casket went viral, and the pooch will soon join the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Facility Dog Program.

It’s no surprise, then, that Slate’s efforts to downplay Sully’s significance has gone over like a lead balloon. On Monday the publication posted an article titled, “Don’t Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully H.W. Bush,” noting that the former politician had only had the dog since June.

“Sully is not a longtime Bush family pet, letting go of the only master he has known,” writer Ruth Graham argued. “He is an employee who served for less than six months.”

Sully assisted Bush, who used a wheelchair, with various tasks following the death of former first lady Barbara Bush in April. But the Slate article stated that Sully was “not his lifelong companion” and disputed the notion that the photo served as proof that the service animal was a “good boy.”

“It’s wonderful for Bush that he had a trained service animal like Sully available to him in his last months,” Graham continued. “It’s a good thing that the dog is moving on to another gig where he can be helpful to other people (rather than becoming another Bush family pet). But it’s a bit demented to project soul-wrenching grief onto a dog’s decision to lay down in front of a casket. Is Sully ‘heroic’ for learning to obey the human beings who taught him to perform certain tasks? Does the photo say anything special about this dog’s particular loyalty or judgment, or is he just … there?”

If Slate aimed to curb Sully’s sudden popularity, the plan backfired, as the article appears to have only further endeared the pup to the public. Countless people have slammed the publication for its negative angle and have posted messages of support for Sully.

Others admonished the publication for downplaying the importance of service animals to those with disabilities or impaired mobility.

Dog owners also chimed in to insist that six months is more than enough time to foster a close bond with an animal.

If this keeps up, the Bush family might have its third president. Sully 2020, anyone?

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• This blind man says his Uber driver canceled ride because he has a service dog

• Man praises his wife’s work as a nurse: ‘Your nurse is probably putting her life on hold for you’

• Woman’s husky sniffs out cancer for the third time: ‘I owe my life to that dog’

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