Reviews

"An inspiring and refreshingly optimistic reminder about the untapped possibilities that exist in the relationships between humans and dogs." "-- ""Kirkus Reviews""You don't have to be an animal lover to be moved by this beautifully written and impassioned account of the author's work rescuing dogs from shelters and training them to be service animals...This is the rare book that can change minds about the reality of animals' emotional lives." "-- Publishers Weekly," starred"For everyone who is interested in the human animal bond, this book is essential reading. Learn how service dogs can provide emotional support for people who are in great need." "-- "Temple Grandin, author of "Animals Make us Human" and "Animals in Translation" "An eloquent and heartwarming journey into the world of some very special dogs. Susannah Charleson is a great humanitarian who recounts her efforts to turn abandoned and　shelter-bound dogs into special service dogs for a host of less visible human disabilities. She succeeds as brilliantly as her re-purposed canines and in THE POSSIBILITY DOGS we cheer her every step of the way.""""-- "Susan Richards, author of" Chosen By a Horse" "What an amazing book. Combine love, knowledge and real-life drama with pitch-perfect writing, and you'll end up with "The Possibility Dogs." Simply brilliant!" "--"Patricia McConnell, author of "The Other End of the Leash""" "Reading "The Possibility Dogs" is like taking an amazing literary journey with a dear friend by your side.　 The characters you meet will enchant you, but the storyteller will capture your heart. If you love dogs, this is a can't miss book written by a kindred spirit." "--" Jennifer Arnold, author of "Through a Dog's Eyes "and" In a Dog's Heart" "Susannah Charleson is not a dog trainer who simply writes of dogs, but a true writer of lean, layered prose, who, like all fine writers, cannot help but tell us what lies closest to her heart and soul. "The Possibility Dogs" re

"An inspiring and refreshingly optimistic reminder about the untapped possibilities that exist in the relationships between humans and dogs." "-- ""Kirkus Reviews""You don't have to be an animal lover to be moved by this beautifully written and impassioned account of the author's work rescuing dogs from shelters and training them to be service animals...This is the rare book that can change minds about the reality of animals' emotional lives." "-- Publishers Weekly," starred"For everyone who is interested in the human animal bond, this book is essential reading. Learn how service dogs can provide emotional support for people who are in great need." "-- "Temple Grandin, author of "Animals Make us Human" and "Animals in Translation" "An eloquent and heartwarming journey into the world of some very special dogs. Susannah Charleson is a great humanitarian who recounts her efforts to turn abandoned and shelter-bound dogs into special service dogs for a host of less visible human disabilities. She succeeds as brilliantly as her re-purposed canines and in THE POSSIBILITY DOGS we cheer her every step of the way.""""-- "Susan Richards, author of" Chosen By a Horse" "What an amazing book. Combine love, knowledge and real-life drama with pitch-perfect writing, and you'll end up with "The Possibility Dogs." Simply brilliant!" "--"Patricia McConnell, author of "The Other End of the Leash""" "Reading "The Possibility Dogs" is like taking an amazing literary journey with a dear friend by your side. The characters you meet will enchant you, but the storyteller will capture your heart. If you love dogs, this is a can't miss book written by a kindred spirit." "--" Jennifer Arnold, author of "Through a Dog's Eyes "and" In a Dog's Heart" "Susannah Charleson is not a dog trainer who simply writes of dogs, but a true writer of lean, layered prose, who, like all fine writers, cannot help but tell us what lies closest to her heart and soul. "The Possibility Dogs" re

Charleson (Scent of the Missing) takes readers on a new journey after a particularly gruesome search-and-rescue case involving 40 dogs that had been tortured, which left her suffering from PTSD. After noticing that Puzzle, her search-and-rescue dog, was helping her through these episodes, and following a chance encounter with a firefighter suffering from traumatic brain injury, Charleson became curious about psychiatric service dogs. This deeply moving and personal story chronicles the author's experiences learning to identify potential service dogs in shelters and discovering her own need for therapy dogs, especially as she also struggles with kidney disease. Eventually, Charleson forms a service dog nonprofit called Possibility Dogs. Her story not only underlies the strength of the human-dog connection but also shows that rescued dogs from all sorts of backgrounds and breeds (Charleson's therapy dog is a pit bull mix she rescued), even those with limitations (Ollie, a blind and deaf terrier, helps children overcome anxiety) can fill critical roles for humans in need. -VERDICT A touching and inspirational story that will appeal to animal lovers.-Lisa Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.