Dear Kid,

Welcome back to American Ninja Warrior. Last night was the first city final. Lots of great info on the participants—it’s amazing how so many of the competitors have crazy interesting back stories.

Right now I’m cheering for Leeloo, the diabetes therapy dog (she’s not competing but her Person is). She’s a rescue baby (she was found being chased by a pack of coyote), adorable, and she works for a living (which is more than I can say for our own adorableness). Her job is to tell her Person, Kyle Cochran, when his blood sugar is too high or too low. Good puppy!

So of course I consulted My Friend the Internet for more information. Turns out there are several different organization that train diabetic assistance dogs. Not only do the dogs tell their Person (also known as their diabetic partner) if the Person’s blood sugar has gone out of range, they continue to tell them until their blood sugar is at an acceptable level. And if their Person doesn’t (or can’t) respond, the dog will ask other people for help. Most clever, these beasties.

As we well know (having been thoroughly trained by The Best Puppy Raiser Ever at Guiding Eyes for the Blind), one doesn’t pat or otherwise interact with working dogs when they are wearing their jacket. So to all the wonderful people who work with service animals, please know how much we appreciate you. And please tell your dog how wonderful he or she is from all of us.

Love, Mom