The Dog with the Old Soul
Sometimes the most unlikely of friendships are the ones that save us. From the loyal dog who risks his own life to rescue a drowning boy to the lost kitten who comforts a grieving woman to an abandoned horse and foster child who come to rescue each other, these inspiring true stories highlight the hope, healing, happiness and – most of all – unconditional love animals bring to our lives. Whether you love sloppy dog kisses or melt at every meow, this heartwarming collection is one to treasure.
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The Dog with the Old Soul
TRUE STORIES OF THE LOVE, HOPE AND JOY THAT ANIMALS BRING TO OUR LIVES
CONTENTS
Introduction
The Dog with the Old Soul
Finley Taylor
Simon Says
Katherine Traci
Where the Need Is Greatest
Tish Davidson
Too Many Cats in the Kitchen
Maryellen Burns
Transforming U
Suzanne Tomlinson
A Nose for Love
Dena Kouremetis
Mother Knows Best
Kathryn Canan
Spottyâs Miracle
Charles Kuhn
The Nursery
Robyn Boyer
Frank Observations
E. G. Fabricant
Little Orange
Trina Drotar
The Old Barrel Racer
Elaine Ambrose
The Dog Who Wouldnât Bark
Meera Klein
In Touch with Oneâs Felines
Ed Goldman
Kissing the Whale
Pam Giarrizzo
In the Nick of Time
Sue Pearson
Wednesday in the Wall
Chris Fowler
Hammer
Morton Rumberg
Quiet Vigil
Sue Pearson
A Life Measured in Dog Years
Hal Bernton
The Green Collar
Sheryl J. Bize Boutte
Growing Together
Louise Crawford
The Improbable Cat Lover
Jennifer OâNeill-Pickering
Psychic Cat
Kathryn Canan
Maggie
Jerry and Donna White
Roxanne
Gordon M. Labuhn
High Energy
Mark Lukas
About the Contributors
INTRODUCTION
âAn animal anthology? Really? You?â new friends may ask upon hearing about this book project, looking around my well-ordered house, devoid of cat hair or a wet-dog smell. What gives? There are no bags of pet food in my garage. My newspaper is recycled promptly, never placed at the bottom of a birdcage. Older friends nod in understanding, though, since they knew the Airedale that lives on forever in my heart.
Animals take up residence in our hearts, sometimes consuming all available space and leaving no room for another dog, cat, horse or bird to be added to the mix. I love dogs, but I havenât had one myself in years. Just like some people have only one perfect love in their lives and, once it is over, donât feel the need to replace it, my dog Big Guy spoiled me as an owner. I delight in having othersâ pets around me, though, and I love to watch the affection and interaction between animals and people.
We are devoted to our animals, and they can be just as devoted to us. A recent news item touched everyone who stumbled upon itâthe story of a man in China who passed away, leaving only a yellow dog behind. The dog refused to leave his grave, lying atop it day after day. Villagers brought the dog food and water, and one resident told reporters that the sight of the grieving dog âmade my heart smile and cry.â
The stories in The Dog with the Old Soul will also make your heart both smile and cry. There are stories of joyâthe thrill of a new puppy, the excitement of a young girlâs first horse show ribbon, the silliness of a room filled with cats. But life isnât always joyful, and there are stories of the comforting role that animals can play in our emotional lives. There are times in life when reaching down to pet a familiar fuzzy head can help ground us in a way nothing else can.
It is my hope that these stories touch you deeply, and that more than once while reading, you reach out and pull your pets in closer to you on the couch. Enjoy!
Jennifer Basye Sander
The Dog with the Old Soul
Finley Taylor
Sometimes peopleâor in my case, a dogâcome into your life at just the right time.
Even before we were married, my husband and I talked about the dogs we would get someday. I wanted a Scottish terrier; he wanted a basset hound. Both of us liked both dogs, and neither of us minded which one we got first. We eventually decided that since bassets were known for being calm, low maintenance and child friendlyâand since we were planning on having children soonâweâd get a basset first. Only problem was, for the first year and a half of our marriage we lived in a tiny apartment in Midtown.
When we moved to a larger home in 2009, it was time to start thinking about getting a dog. Well, actually, it was time to start thinking about having those children. Getting a dog was something we might push off till after the first baby was born, we thought. But the months went by and the pregnancy tests kept turning up negative.
The thought of including a different type of being, one with four legs, as part of our family never was far from our thoughts. As much as we talked about baby names and family vacations and how we would not give our eight-year-old a cell phone, we also talked about hiking trips and strolls along the river and what weâd name our dog.
Three days after my twenty-seventh birthday, my husband sent me a seemingly innocuous photo from a local shelterâs website of a perky-looking tricolored basset hound with intelligent, old-soul eyes. Her name was Chloe.
I work from home, so the squeal I let out fell on an otherwise silent houseâa silence that over the months had developed a pitch of frustration, sadness and worry that became more palpable with each Facebook pregnancy announcement I saw. I called my husband and asked if he was game to go look at the pup with the world-heavy expression.
That night we stood outside the kennel of a loudly barking Chloe, who seemed to be conveying her frustration at being cooped up for so long, and at life for being a little rough on her as of late.
