From the Back Cover
"Animals play a greater and greater role in our emotional lives, and no one understands this trend better than Dawn Kairns. More than just companion animals, our four-legged loved ones can lead us to a deeper understanding of our place in the world. This story of Dawn and her dog, Maggie, shows us how easily love can cross species' boundaries." - Ethan Watters, author of Urban Tribes "There is no finer definition of the human animal bond than will be found in the pages of this book. Dawn's heartwarming story will bring tears to many, and true understanding to all of the importance of animals in our lives. It should be a 'must read' for all veterinarians and students to help us understand and appreciate the importance of our profession, both to our patients, and their families." - Richard Katz, DVM "Sincere, sweet and deeply moving. Dogs as special as Maggie come along once in a lifetime. They are gifts. As Maggie did, these angels patiently try to teach us to listen, to ourselves and to the silent language of dogs. Listen." - Gigi Moss, Association of Pet Dog Trainers
About the Author
Dawn Kairns is a lifelong animal lover. Her passion for dogs led her to volunteer with local animal rescue organizations, including the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Front Range Labrador Rescue, and Freedom Service Dogs. The author previously practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a psychotherapist and has published in nursing journals, American Fitness Magazine, The Daily Camera online, and Real Travel Adventures Magazine. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dawn and her husband traveled to Mississippi to work with the Humane Society of the United States assisting the displaced Katrina dogs. Dawn Kairns lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband, Tom, and their dog, Maddie, and cat, Cinnamon. Both animals are rescues. Kairns donates 10% of publisher's royalties to Mainline Animal Rescue, an organization devoted to raising awareness of the deplorable conditions in puppy mills and rescuing their canine victims. She has also donated a percentage of her book's proceeds to other animal shelters.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Once in every dog lover's life, if you're lucky, that special once-in-a-lifetime dog comes along. You know this relationship is golden, a gift from the spirit world. You have found a soul mate. Animal and human spirits are inextricably intertwined, and you know there will never be another dog that comes close to the presence of this one and the bond that you share. For me, Maggie is that dog.You know it when it happens. You think a thought and your dog responds. She knows what you're asking of her, even though you never trained her to do it. You recognize that your communication is beyond words, beyond training. How do you explain it? You peer into her eyes and know you are looking into the depths of a loving, advanced soul. You may wonder, as I did, who are you in there?
When Maggie and I are out hiking, running errands, or just hanging out being "girlfriends," I meet several people who have loved and lost such powerful relationships with their canine companions. They recognize that magic between Maggie and me, for once you experience it with your dog, you can't miss it when it appears before you. I see the longing in their eyes, the painful missing, and the ache of irreplaceable loss.
"You just made my day," one man wistfully tells Maggie when she greets him at the coffee shop.
Sometimes I see this man keep his distance, and he just nods at me--as though it's too unbearable for him to touch the pain of his loss at this moment. I imagine his own precious memories with his dog dancing before his eyes.
"Enjoy every moment you have with her," the gentleman at the coffee shop tells me.
I do enjoy her every moment. I know the day will come when I will walk in his shoes with that mournful longing, when I'll be forced to learn to live with her absence. But to know it intellectually and to live it, I would later find, have nothing in common. That day, as far as I am concerned, is so far in the distant future it doesn't even exist in my awareness.
As a child, I was taught that animals were inferior to humans. We were superior to all life on Earth. This teaching was inherent in both culture and religion. Maggie helps me challenge that belief. She shows me over her lifetime that she is an intelligent, emotional being with a huge presence. I learn to respect her as a being who I share this planet with--a different being--not a lesser being.
