The Dog Who Healed a Family

I recently got a chance to read a charming new book called The Dog Who Healed a Family: And Other True Animal Stories That Warm the Heart & Touch the Soul. The book features short stories of animals who have touched the lives of people. Anyone who has ever loved a pet will relate to the power that animals can have on a person. But this book doesn’t just feature dogs, there are stories of all kinds of animals.

It was so fun to read about the adventures of a rescued fawn who was “adopted” by a group of very special people. Of course reading about the “puppy express” (based on the Pony Express), was a great testimonial to just how many kind hearted people there are in the world. Each story had something special about it, from a sweet bunny who befriends a cat (and helps her owner pull out of her shell), to a special dog that becomes a “good shepherd” to children with chronic diseases. There is a little something for everyone.

Jo Coudert, the author, asks:

“Why do people become devoted to an animal, sometimes with an intensity that is startling?” she continues, “Pure love is rare among humans, but that’s not a problem with an animal. It doesn’t feel the least bit threatening to be boundlessly loved by a dog or cat, and the dog or cat is more than content to be boundlessly loved in return.”

“Animals put us in touch with the basics, with the nautral world, which has little to do with get, spend, consume, throw away,” Coudert writes. “They are a bridge to the natural world.”

This is a lovely little book, and would make a perfect gift for the animal lover in your life. It was a fun read, and reminded me of so many of our own stories with our pets. The Dog Who Healed a Family: And Other True Animal Stories That Warm the Heart & Touch the Soul is available online at Amazon.com.