“This book gives us some specific examples of the unique therapy that dogs provide when it is needed most. Enjoy a good read after which I’m sure you will appreciate your own dog even more.”
—Betty White, Emmy-award winning actress and author of Here We Go Again

"This is a lovely, charming, important book that contributes to a better understanding of the human-dog bond."
—Dean Koontz, bestselling author of A Big Little Life

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EVERY DOG HAS A GIFT
True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope & Healing into Our Lives
Rachel McPherson
with Deborah Mitchell

Whether big or small, purebred or mutt, household pet or service animal, dogs touch our lives in countless ways. They help autistic children regain a sense of calm and independence, they comfort the sick, and they bring joy and acceptance to many.

As founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation*, the largest animal-assisted therapy organization on the East Coast, Rachel McPherson has heard and witnessed these extraordinary stories and more. Now, in EVERY DOG HAS A GIFT (Tarcher/Penguin hardcover), she puts them to paper, chronicling the quietly heroic deeds of a variety of dogs—from service and therapy dogs to the lovable household dogs that bring us happiness every day.

For example:
“Reading—Going to the Dogs” takes us into a classroom where children with low literacy scores advance by leaps and bounds through the simple act of reading to dogs.
In “Dogs of Freedom,” a Vietnam vet with multiple sclerosis finds his calling helping soldiers returning from the Middle East regain their sense of selves in the training of therapy dogs.

“Jessica” focuses on a rescued mutt with only three legs who serves as inspiration for a young boy who loses a leg in a car accident.

And in “A Gift for Milo,” a mother watches her autistic son, Milo, undergo a wealth of positive changes (physically, mentally and emotionally) thanks to a new constant companion: his service dog Chad.

Interwoven with these uplifting stories are Closing Tales sections, which offer practical advice and information on everything from how to adopt a dog to how to have your dog certified and connect with an animal-assisted therapy organization in your community.

Practical and inspiring, EVERY DOG HAS A GIFT is a one-of-a-kind homage to our furry friends and the unconditional love they offer.

About the Author
Rachel McPherson is the founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation, which has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, PBS, and elsewhere. The foundation has received awards from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the American Red Cross, for its work at Ground Zero with the families of victims of 9/11, and was honored on the floor of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for its work with Hurricane Katrina survivors. For more information, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.thegooddogfoundation.org/" http://www.thegooddogfoundation.org/.

*A portion of the proceeds from EVERY DOG HAS A GIFT will benefit The Good Dog Foundation.

EVERY DOG HAS A GIFT
True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope & Healing into Our Lives
Rachel McPherson
with Deborah Mitchell
Tarcher/Penguin hardcover | March 18, 2010
978-1-58542-795-6| $23.95

Q&A with Rachel McPherson

Author of Every Dog Has a Gift: True Stories of Dogs Who Bring
Hope & Healing into Our Lives

What inspired you to write Every Dog Has a Gift?
My inspiration for writing the book stems from my keen understanding of the constant companionship and unconditional love that dogs provide. It comes from the same place that led me to start The Good Dog Foundation.

Dogs have been a great support throughout my life. When my older sister left for college, my dog became my constant companion. Then when I was in college, I volunteered at a center for emotionally and physically compromised individuals. I took Beau, my dog, with me to meet a child that I worked with every visit. Gradually, I began to see a bond develop between the child and my dog. After graduating from college, I had to tell this young child that Beau and I wouldn’t be back. He started crying and saying “Beau, Rachel.” I had never heard him speak before that day and I, along the psychologist and doctors, realized that Beau had made a tremendous impact on this child.

Now I see the difference that our therapy dogs are making in patients and students every day. I know that dogs make a difference on a deep level, and I wanted to share some of those experiences with readers through this book.
 
What do you hope readers will take away from these stories?
 I hope that readers gain an appreciation for the gift that dogs have given to mankind. I hope that this book will help spread the message of a much more humane treatment of animals. I also would love it if the book encourages people to adopt a dog through a place like Petfinder.com (that is, a local shelter) to experience the gift of a dog firsthand.
 
How do you think Every Dog Has a Gift differs from the many other dog books currently available?
While books such as Marley & Me highlight the gift that one dog can bring to its family, this book is a compilation of many true stories about the healing power of dogs. These stories highlight how people are helped in emotional, physical and psychological ways, both at home and in other settings.
 
You tell your own story (and that of your dogs) about aiding and comforting the survivors of 9/11. What was that experience like?
On September 11, 2001, I, along with the rest of the world, was in mourning and in shock from the tragic events that had just taken place. I knew immediately that I wanted to get therapy dogs to the families of the victims of 9/11. I knew that the dogs would make such a difference and give the gift of unconditional love which all of the traumatized family members so badly needed. My Papillion, Fidel, is the therapy dog that I brought with me to aid the survivors and the families of the victims at the Family Assistance Center in New York. Fidel and I were also part of a mental health team that escorted family members to Ground Zero in the days after 9/11. Fidel helped people who couldn’t be consoled in any other way.
 
The book includes stories about regular household dogs, as well as those involving service dogs and therapy dogs. What are the differences between service and therapy dogs?
A service dog is typically trained from puppyhood to help someone who has a physical disability. A therapy dog is a family dog that can provide healing to its family as well as hundreds of other people in a therapy setting.
 
Of all the stories in the book, do you have a favorite?
All of the stories in the book are touching but the 9/11 story is one that is very close to my heart since I experienced the healing firsthand. It showed me that dogs can really make a difference in people dealing with trauma. “Go Fetch!” is also one of my favorites. It highlights the groundbreaking work that The Good Dog Foundation’s therapy dogs are doing with autistic students.
 
If pet owners want to get involved and help out in their community, what would you recommend they do to get started?
One of the first steps that dog owners can take is to get their puppy enrolled in a puppy obedience class. Older dogs should go through an obedience class as well. If people are on the East Coast they can visit www.thegooddogfoundation.org to learn about how to become a therapy dog. They can also search for other animal-assisted therapy organizations in their state. It is important to find an organization that offers a training program. At The Good Dog Foundation, we evaluate a dog’s temperament and then the dog and handler go through our extensive training program before making therapy dog visits. 

Photos By: Gil Ford Photography and Elwin Williams