If you've been searching for an uplifting and inspirational read, look no further! We have three wonderful books to recommend, and all of them feature heartwarming "tails" of disabled dogs!Our first pick is Almost Perfect: Disabled Pets and The People Who Love Them. This new anthology shares stories about all kinds of special needs companion animals, from a paraplegic rat to a blind Alaskan Husky. Editor Mary Shafer was compelled to create Almost Perfect after adopting her blind cat, Idgie.
"I am constantly inspired by her courage and indefatigable spirit," Shafer says of her feline companion who was born without eyes. "So many people feel sorry for her, but that’s just the point: They shouldn't. She’s never had eyes, so she doesn’t miss seeing. She has no idea she’s missing anything, and so to watch her squeeze every ounce of joy out of every day really makes you stop and re-think things when you’re tempted to feel sorry for yourself. I wanted to share that inspiration with others, and that’s how the book came to be."
The book's cover girl is Ruby - an exuberant Doberman/Lab mix whose zest for life never diminished despite being diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, a disease that's similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. Almost Perfect is avaliable through Word Forge Books and Mary Shafer's blog: www.almostperfectpets.blogspot.com
Extraordinary Dogs: Inspirational Stories of Dogs With Disabilities is a similarly heartwarming collection of essays. Author Joyce Darrell has been an advocate for special needs pets since 2000 when her rescue pup, Duke, broke his back while playing. Joyce and her husband, Michael Dickerson, founded the amazing organization Pets With Disabilities shortly afterward as a way to reach out to others with disabled animals. Extraordinary Dogs profiles 50 disabled canines, including tripods, paralyzed pooches, and those with vision and hearing impairments. Although the dogs all face unique challenges, these are not sob stories. Extraordinary Dogs is uplifting, inspiring, and heartening. Best of all, proceeds from the book benefit Pets With Disabilities!
Last but certainly not least, we have a delightful children's book to recommend. Frankie, The Walk 'N Roll Dog chronicles the true story of Frankie, a Dachshund friend of ours who gets around in a custom set of wheels. Since sustaining a spinal injury, Frankie has not slowed down! In fact, she has become a therapy dog and an inspiration to people and pets everywhere with her tenacity and unwavering spirit. Frankie, The Walk 'N Roll Dog is beautifully illustrated and would make an excellent gift. Copies can be ordered through www.joyfulpaws.com and a portion of all April sales will be donated to Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary, so there's no better time to buy this charming book!
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3 comments:
Thank you, Rebound Hounds for the shout out about Frankie's book. We are so very honored to be on the very same page as Almost Perfect and Extraordinary Dogs. Both books of which I read and so loved.
~Barbara Techel
Author & mom of Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog
www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com
Ruby's mom here -- "cover dog" for Almost Perfect. Thank you so much for this lovely blog entry! You captured Ruby's spirit so well with what you wrote. Rebound Hounds is one of my all-time favorite blog sites, and I am honored to have Almost Perfect mentioned, in such impressive company no less! I have read Frankie's book and loved every word and every illustration, and I've read several stories in Extraordinary Dogs -- the dogs are not the only ones who are extraordinary in this wonderful collection. Thank you again. I've felt blessed so many times over by all the incredible people I've met as a result of the awesome spirit of one unstoppable canine.
Vicki Tiernan
co-author, Almost Perfect: Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them
Thanks so much, Katja, for covering Almost Perfect! But I want to chime in in support of both Joyce's book and the ever-adorable Frankie's book by Barbara T. These are both such well-done and worthwhile books.
How Joyce found the time to write while doing all she does at PetsWithDisabilities.com is just beyond me. And Barbara is the perfect mom for Frankie, with just as indefatigble a spirit. How blessed we all are to share this "good fight" with each other!
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