I am sorry I have to write this to defend the good work of Red, as he nears the end of his life and the end of his work. It is just one of those sad things life calls upon us to do at this time and in this world.

Fate had a good and important day yesterday, she did a remarkable job at the Mansion, she visited with more than a dozen different residents and staffers, and was appropriate and responsive to me in every case but one (she veered off and into the kitchen, I think she was confused, it was her first time doing this work.)

She is well on her way to being a therapy dog.

But I do feel badly for Red, and guilty, as if I’ve abandoned or betrayed him. I’m taking him to the Mansion today and also for Friday night bingo, but I also accept reality, his therapy dog days are nearly over.

And then there was this:

The Internet being what it is, someone protested on Facebook that I was using the term Therapy Dog inappropriately, this was from a dog lover named Kay who complained that she spent many years and much money raising her Therapy Dogs, and I shouldn’t be using the term “therapy dog” for Red. She said she was insulted by it.

I am not often shocked by messages on the Internet, I was shocked by this one, as  The idea that his work would insult someone set me back a bit when I read it.

This is a restrained version of what I first wrote. Everything is a gift, the Internet gives me the opportunity again and again to be a more patient and thoughtful and settled person. I am working on that, every day.

I must confess that the message  upset me on Red’s behalf.

People say false or inaccurate things all day long on social media, a medium that loves false things and gives them a home, but I can’t let that lie when it comes to Red.

Kay said my describing Red as a therapy dog was insulting to her:

“I no longer can hold my tongue,” she huffed. “I also have two therapy dogs. I feel privileged to call them “Therapy “ Dogs. They earned that title. Starting when they were young pups. There were classes, evaluations, testing, practice, observations and more. At Graduation my girls earned their certifications and earned a title of Therapy Dogs..You have well-trained dogs that enjoy visiting folks in a nursing home. But to give them a title is an insult to us who have worked hard for the privilege of visiting adults and children whose lives are compromised.”

Red was, of course, certified as a therapy dog six years ago by a tough and thorough group called Vermont Therapy Dogs.

I remember we had to do obedience and more in a room full of dogs, and people dressed in masks and robes rushed at him and stomped and yelled.  We had to walk right up to barking and growling dogs and sit down without a murmur and sit still.

They were meticulous, they were concerned that Red had  his tail between his legs at one point, I explained this was a common with border collies when working.

This process was and is important to me, service dogs do the most wonderful work, but therapy dog certification is important, I believe, for hospice work and close-in work with the advanced elderly. It not only tests the dog, it tests the humans.

This message about Red was odd, even by social media standards.  Kay seemed to suggest she was being brave in finally speaking out against a great injustice to her and her dogs.

Mostly, she was just being wrong.

Kay, sometimes it is a good idea to hold our tongues, or our keyboards, in check. Red doesn’t really need the title, but he has it.

I wrote quite extensively about the therapy dog certification process in 2012 when Red undertook it, it was thorough and professional and I have taken care to renew Red’s tag every year.

I write this mostly to defend Red – that does get my blood up to see this message at this point in his life.

But I also write this to make it clear to people that the therapy dog certification process does not have to be as long or rigorous or expensive as the one Kay describes. The certification cost about $75 for Red and took two sessions, a grueling evaluation and an on-site review.

Kay’s choices were different than mine.

We all like to seem noble and self-sacrificing sometimes, but this is a doable thing for people committed to this work.  It is not so difficult. I always think of creative writing coaches who tell their students they can never make it as writers because it’s just too hard. It isn’t.

The therapy dog certification process is valuable, it makes us think and focus, the dog too. As much as we love our dogs, not every one is right for service or therapy work. The sick and dying and elderly people on the other end deserve perfection in this work. They are helpless and vulnerable, we can’t make mistakes with our dogs in this work because we love them.

But please don’t be deterred by those who claim it takes a lifetime of work to get this title. It takes a strong will and a good-hearted dog, and a determined person. I’m sure Kay’s dogs are wonderful, and I applaud her for doing this work. She can call her dogs anything she wants, it’s none of my business.

But I want to say that having a therapy dog does not make me morally or otherwise superior to anyone. It doesn’t make  her dogs better than Red, even if he didn’t have a certificate.

We all  have our ways of doing good, we all do the best we can. I would never measure this work in terms of hours or money, the best work comes from Red’s great big heart, the training was important but less consequential. A big heart is not something a dog can be trained to have. It is by far the most important qualification for this kind of work.

Red was well-trained when I got him, and I worked with him  for several months before taking the certification test. It was rigorous but manageable. I decided to certify my dogs – Izzy first, then later, Red – once I started doing hospice therapy work, which requires absolute trust and reliability in a dog. No mistakes.

I don’t really need a lecture from Kay or anyone about the importance of therapy dog certification. I have written about it countless times, and did it twice. I sometimes yearn for a world in which people simply ask questions – I am quite available to answer them – rather than feel forced to “speak out” even when wrong. Truth is often a search button away.

But that ethos seems to be fading. The “send” button is free and easy. Outrage and grievance are the currency of our times. Even the dogs aren’t immune from the way we talk to one another.

I let go of these things most of the time, they are part of life online in America in 2019, but Red deserves more consideration and truth. His work is an inspiration to me and others, not an insult to anyone. I can’t blink at that.

People often accuse me of bullying when I respond to inaccuracies or inappropriate attacks, but I am happy to speak out for Red, since he cannot speak out for himself. Truth still matters, to me, and to many of you.

I’m going to give Fate some more time to develop and be trained – this certification is not required at the Mansion, but I believe in it. I certainly want her to get that tag, when she is ready and I am ready. It is important for me as well as her. I am proud to have it.

And I will continue to use the term “therapy dog” for Fate, and certainly for Red.   Kay, I’m sure you work hard with your dogs and do good work, you don’t get to tell me which words I can use. If that offends you, too bad.

I have worked just as hard with my dogs as you have, and easily for just as long. I don’t get to judge you, and you don’t get to judge me.

Therapy work is what Fate did yesterday, that is what she will be doing in the future I believe.  That is what I will call it, before, during and after the process of certification. As a writer, I choose my words carefully, and Kay’s experience and preferences won’t dictate what those words are.

I have no apologies to make on behalf of Red, he did the most wonderful work in every possible way, and he deserves every honorific there is, including the title “Therapy Dog,” which he earned a thousand times, technically and symbolically.

Say what you wish about me, don’t diss Red, at least not in front of me. Red, you good boy, you have never insulted anyone in your blessed existence in this world.

You are nothing but good.