Some Favorite Doggie Memoirs

Baby Beary & KittenYahoo

THE DOG 
WHO RESCUES CATS 
by Philip Gonzalez and Leonore Fleischer
Are you a cat lover?
Or do you think of yourself as more of a dog person?
Whichever you happen to be, read this book! You'll love it! Guaranteed!

IZZY AND LENORE
by Jon Katz
          When the author rescued a neglected border collie named Izzy, he found that she was of the perfect temperament to be a hospice volunteer. Together they brought comfort and caring to a number of dying patients.
          But it was the black lab puppy that Katz named Lenore that pulled the author out of his own personal battle with depression. This is a heartwarming story of dogs with heart and compassion.
I learned a lot about hospice from this very enjoyable little book. I'm hoping, as my own dog gets a little more mature, he might be suitable for nursing home visits. If not, I'm thinking about getting some bunnies or a pygmy goat to take around to visit the forgotten elderly. Reading this book has made me interested in this type of volunteer service.

MY LIFE AS A DOG 
by "Moose" with Brian Hargrove
          This little Jack Russell Terrier reminded me of Wishbone of PBS fame. Except Wishbone was more of an intellectual, while Moose was a comedian through and through.
          For the few people who may not know, Moose played the canine character, Eddie, on the sit-com Frasier. That show was popular during my TV-less period of life, so I missed it. But later, I saw enough of it in reruns to have a general idea of the characters. If I'd known that Eddie was the star of the show (according to Moose), I would have watched every episode.
          In this book, he presents us with his hilarious autobiography. I especially enjoyed his memories of his birth and puppyhood. My own dog, Beary (pictured above) thought his "Moose-isms" were hysterically witty, especially the put-downs of cats.
         This was an easy read that I finished in one evening. This book should be required reading for Frasier fans. Moose passed on to that Great Doghouse in the Sky in 2006. Rest in peace, little Moosie...

GOOD DOG. STAY.
by Anna Quindlen
          I read this short, little true-life book during my 45 minutes on the treadmill. Full of beautiful, professional dog portraits, this is basically a eulogy for a beloved pet that had to be euthanized in his old age. It was like the story of MARLEY & ME, condensed into only 98 pages, telling how the puppy grew up with the family's children. I cried at the end.