Sharon Sakson

This book is mildly informative, with stories that describe how dogs come to the aide of humans during illness and adversity. A few are touching, many are merely sentimental. I particularly liked learning about the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association, and the role of dogs in alerting people to seizures or cancers. I am not sure why, though, after illustrating how dogs can be "angels" or "saints", she puts in an odd quote by Ruth Resmondo, "I do not think that dogs have souls," she says, speaking strongly... " and infers that dogs shouldn't be referred to as having human qualities. This confused me, as the entire book is asking you to feel something for these dogs, who do things for humans that no other human can do, then she puts this stumbling block in. It is also pretty poorly edited. I saw names dropped into paragraphs out of nowhere, misplaced quotes, and misspellings. The author also uses quirky and odd sayings that are distracting and indicate she is of a certain age and generation. Again, it is a sentimental read. If you want better information on dogs, read Temple Grandin. -KA… (mehr)