First published 2013
After a traumatic search and rescue mission damages Susannah Charleson's mental health, she discovers an unexpected path to recovery through her bond with Puzzle, her search dog. This revelation leads Charleson to develop a new mission: identifying overlooked dogs in animal shelters who possess the temperament for service work. She pulls these discarded animals from certain death and transforms them into life-changing companions for people with disabilities. Charleson shares the remarkable journeys of dogs like Merlin, a black Lab puppy found in a trash bag who now prevents his partner's panic attacks, and Jake Piper, a starving pit bull mix who became indispensable to his human. Through personal narrative and canine science, Charleson reveals how these rescued animals provide not just practical assistance but emotional healing and renewed hope to their partners.
Genres: animals, non-fiction, biography-memoir, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
281 pages · Kindle Edition · Mariner Books
Content warnings: mental-illness