Following the death of George HW Bush, a photo of his service dog Sully sleeping in front of the former president’s casket went viral, prompting an outpouring of love and praise for the support dog.

However, one article claimed the reactions to the heartwarming photo were overrated and a waste of “emotional energy” - to the dismay of many.

According to a Slate journalist, who wrote an op-ed titled “Don’t Spend Your Emotional Energy on Sully HW Bush,” the dog was not the 41st president’s “lifelong companion” but rather an “employee who served for less than six months.”

“It’s a bit demented to project soul-wrenching grief onto a dog’s decision to lie down in front of a casket,” she wrote. “Does the photo say anything special about this dog’s particular loyalty or judgement, or is he just… there?”

The tweet linking to the article has received nearly 8,000 comments from people defending Sully.

While it is true that the yellow Labrador was not with Bush for more than six months - he was appointed to the former president in June - people took offence to the suggestion that a bond was not formed between the pair in that time.

“It was a lifetime for Sully though. Good boy,” one person wrote.

Another said: “If you think six months of love and companionship from a dog is nothing, then I feel sorry for you.”

“Like the dog knows it’s an employee. What a mean-spirited article,” another person responded.

Others mocked the idea that Sully could actually be a “lifelong companion” to a 94-year-old, considering the life expectancy of a typical dog.

“He was in his nineties, I think most people know the dog hadn’t been with him for his lifetime,” someone pointed out.

Apart from the outrage over the bond between the former president and his service dog being questioned, many others expressed their disappointment that a service dog’s importance and dedication was underestimated.

Sully was trained by nonprofit America’s VetDogs, and can perform a two-page list of commands. Now that his role comforting and helping Bush has ended, he will help other veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre.

In addition to making life easier for the 94-year-old, service dogs can actually improve the mental and physical health of their owners.

According to UCLA's School of Medicine, petting a dog can release serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin - mood-enhancing hormones, decrease anxiety, provide comfort, and reduce loneliness.

Animal-assisted therapy can also lower blood pressure, diminish overall physical pain, and contribute to a lower amount of medications needed.

There are also preliminary findings that show service dogs are associated with less-intense PTSD symptoms in veterans.

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