Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul

BOOK: Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
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CHICKEN SOUP
FOR THE DOG
LOVER’S SOUL

Stories of
Canine Companionship,
Comedy and Courage

Jack Canfield
Mark Victor Hansen
Marty Becker, D.V.M.
Carol Kline
Amy D. Shojai

Health Communications, Inc.
Deerfield Beach, Florida

www.hcibooks.com
www.chickensoup.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chicken soup for the dog lover’s soul : stores of canine companionship, comedy,
   and courage / Jack Canfield ... [et al.].
        p. cm.

eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9489-8 (ebook)   eISBN-10: 0-7573-9489-2 (ebook)

1. Dogs—Anecdoes. 2. Dog owners—Anecdotes. 3. Human-animal relationships—Anecdotes. I. Canfield, Jack, 1944-

SF426.2C453 2005
    636.7'088'7—dc22

2005050379

© 2005 John T. Canfield and Hansen and Hansen LLC

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher:
Health Communications, Inc.
 
3201 S.W. 15th Street
 
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190

Cover photo ©2005 Best Friends/Troy Snow
Cover design by Andrea Perrine Brower
Inside typesetting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

T
his book is dedicated to dog lovers everywhere: the millions of people around the world who have opened up their hearts and homes to the extraordinary devotion, unconditional love and unbridled joy of a dog, and seen their lives richly blessed as a direct result.

We also dedicate this book to the veterinary profession, who with unparalleled competence and compassion, assist, protect and nurture these life-support systems cleverly disguised as dogs.

We dedicate this book as well to the responsible dog breeders and exhibitors who celebrate, sustain and strive to improve the health and well-being of their special dogs—whether tiny or pony-size, curly-coated, otter-slick, thickly furred or bald—preserving the unique legacy of the canine race in all its wondrous variations.

And to the heroes, the people who give fully of themselves in their communities to help homeless dogs find loving homes, who aid sick, injured or misbehaving dogs to “heal,” then “heel,” and insure that all dogs are increasingly welcome in people’s lives.

And finally, to God, who chose to bless us richly with dogs. He knows that through their special gifts, dogs add years to our lives and life to our years.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Share with Us

1. ON LOVE

Patience Rewarded
Hester Mundis

The Duck and the Doberman
Donna Griswold as told to
Eve Ann Porinchak

Now and Always
Suzy Huether

Lucky in Love
Jennifer Gay Summers

Jethro’s World
Marc Bekoff

The Great Dog Walk
Anne Carter

Velcro Beau
Carol Kline

A Christmas for Toby
Tekla Dennison Miller

Blu Parts the Veil of Sadness
Margaret Hevel

The Haunted Bowl
John Arrington

You Have No Messages
Zardrelle Arnott

Bubba’s Last Stand
Lisa Duffy-Korpics

2. CELEBRATING THE BOND

Some Snowballs Don’t Melt
Debbie Roppolo

Greta and Pearl: Two Seniors
Stefany Smith

Bullet’s Dog
Elizabeth Atwater

Daisy Love
Kathy Salzberg

Devotion
Marjie Lyvers

Dixie’s Kitten
Anne Culbreath Watkins

Bashur, the Iraqi Dog
John Fenzel, Jr.

My Furry Muse
Amy D. Shojai

After Dooley
Gary Ingraham

When Harry Met Kaatje
Dave Wiley

Gremlin, Dog First Class
JaLeen Bultman-Deardurff

My Blue-Eyed Boy
Alexandra Mandis

The Subway Dog
Elizabeth Lombard

“Dog” and Mr. Evans
Andrea Redd, D.V.M.

3. ON COURAGE

Calvin: A Dog with a Big Heart
Max Edelman

Fate, Courage and a Dog Named Tess
Susanne Fogle

In Her Golden Eyes
Diane Nichols

Ballerina Dog
Jackie Tortoriello

The Dog Who Loved to Fly
Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant

Locked In
M. L. Charendoff

The Telltale Woof
Eleanor Whitney Nelson

4. ONE OF THE FAMILY

Moving Day
Micki Ruiz

Refrigerator Commando
Sam Minier

The Offer
Jean Houston

Sammy’s Big Smile
Gayle Delhagen

Phoebe’s Family
Stacy Pratt

A Canine Nanny
Christine Henderson

Two Old Girls
Atreyee Day

A Dog’s Love
Kelly Munjoy

Lady Abigail
Jennifer Remeta

5. A FURRY R
X

Willow and Rosie: The Ordinary Miracle of Pets
Audrey Thomasson

At Face Value
Linda Saraco

Abacus
Meghan Beeby

Dog Days of School
Jean Wensink

Raising a Star
Laura Sobchik

Star Power
Mary Klitz

Max
Susan Boyer

A Lesson from Luke
Christine Watkins

Honey’s Greatest Gift
B. J. Reinhard

Puppy Magic
Aubrey Fine, Ed.D.

An Angel in the Form of a Service Dog
David Ball

6. DOGS AS TEACHERS

Good Instincts
Gillian Westhead as told to Bill Westhead

A New Home
Elisabeth A. Freeman

Judgment Day
Millicent Bobleter

Mound of Dirt
Paula Gramlich

The Last Puppy
Roger Dean Kiser

7. FAREWELL, MY LOVE

Dad’s Right Knee
Carol M. Chapman

Just Like Always
Lorena O’Connor

A Smile from Phoebe
Beth McCrea

Legacy of Love
Marty Becker, D.V.M.

Tears for Sheila
Laurie MacKillip

Harry and George
Margaret P. Cunningham

Gentle Giant
Robin Pressnall

A Familiar Road
Pennie DeBoard

Saying Good-Bye to Dingo
Elizabeth Wrenn

8. RESCUE ME!

Just an Old Golden Retriever
Audrey Thomasson

Nothing That Can’t Be Fixed
Pamela Jenkins

Ana: From Rescued to Rescuer
Wilma Melville

Scouting Out a Home
Jennifer Coates, D.V.M.

Brooks and the Roadside Dog
Shannon McCarty

Can’t Help Falling in Love
Patricia Smith

The Miracle of Love
Valery Selzer Siegel

The Dumpster Dog Finds a Home
Debra Jean-MacKenzie Szot

The Parking-Lot Dog
Wendy Kaminsky

Two Good Deeds
Rosemarie Miele

The Promise
Bill King

9. DOGGONE WONDERFUL!

Canine Compassion
Ed Kostro

Busted!
Lynn Alcock

Pudgy
Joyce Laird

Felix, the Firehouse Dog
Trevor and Drew Orsinger

Beau and the Twelve-Headed Monster
John Arrington

Sled Dogs without Snow
Dave Wiley

10. AMAZING CANINES!

Lucky Wows the Sheriff
Mariana Levine

A Dog’s Day in Court
Sr. Mary K. Himens, S.S.C.M.

The Bravest Dog
Sherry Cremona-Van Der Elst

A Pocketful of Love
Amy D. Shojai

Pedro the Fisherman
Bob Toren

Angel’s Angel
Wendy Greenley

Take Me Home!
Ed Eames, Ph.D.

More Chicken Soup?

Supporting Others

Who Is Jack Canfield?

Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?

Who Is Marty Becker, D.V.M.?

Who Is Carol Kline?

Who Is Amy D. Shojai?

Contributors

Permission

Acknowledgments

We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the following people who helped make this book possible:

Our families, who have been chicken soup for our souls!

Jack’s family: Inga, Travis, Riley, Christopher, Oran and Kyle for all their love and support.

Mark’s family: Patty, Elisabeth and Melanie Hansen, for once again sharing and lovingly supporting us in creating yet another book.

Marty’s soul mate and fellow pet lover, wife Teresa, who inspires him with her inexhaustible love for, and attention to, the special love of animals. And his beloved children, Mikkel and Lex, who bring so much joy into his hectic life and remind him to relax, tease, laugh and repot himself by taking time off. Virginia Becker and the late Bob Becker, who taught farm-reared Marty to love all God’s creatures from spoiled family pets to soiled dairy cows. Valdie and Rockey Burkholder, whose goodness and support have allowed Marty to thrive in the world’s greatest oasis of beauty, goodness and serenity, magnificent Bonners Ferry, Idaho. And to all the pets, past, present and future who with their gifts of love, loyalty and laughter have made his life so much richer and more meaningful.

Carol’s family: Lorin, McKenna and especially her dearly loved husband, Larry, who makes it possible for Carol to spend all her time writing and editing. Carol’s mother, Selma, brothers Jim and Burt, and sisters Barbara and Holly, and their families, for being her favorite people in the world. Barbara’s grammar and punctuation coaching was the best—thanks, Dr. P!

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