Wellness abounds

This column is dedicated to my newly adopted cat, Tamsin, a former stray who chose me to sign the papers and take her home from the shelter. In our first month together, she has never failed to make me smile.

BY SALLY ROSENTHAL

doesn’t require appointments scheduled in advance and requests a co-pay of a crunchy treat or a bit of praise? If you delve into by journalist Maria Goodavage, you will soon discover the answer. With their highly developed sense of smell, keen intuition and ability to form loving bonds with humans, dogs are now being recognized as some of the most unexpected purveyors of medical assistance and disease detection for individuals in need.

There has been a plethora of recent books about specific types of assistance dogs, such as guide dogs, service dogs and emotional support canines, but Goodavage’s work takes a different look at dogs and medical intervention. is the first book I have come across that combines cutting-edge international research, stories of how dogs are trained to work with ill people (individuals with diabetes, seizure disorders or mental illness, to name just a few conditions) and a caring and realistic examination of how such specially trained canines improve humans’ quality of life.

Not only has the author written an important book, she has made it highly readable for the general public. is an informative and enjoyable read for all animal lovers.

you read my review of Make a list of friends who love animals and buy each of them a copy of this gentle and wise true account of how a rescued Yorkshire terrier and an ill sanctuary founder came to each other in their times of need. Trust me on this one. Books as good as Barby Keel’s don’t come along very often.

Several decades before this story takes place, Keel, an extraordinarily devoted animal lover, bought land in the English countryside and began taking in animals no one else wanted, in the hope of rehoming them or providing a comfortable life on the sanctuary grounds. The author thought she had seen all manner of animals in need — until Gabby, a Yorkie mix, came to the sanctuary when an elderly couple gave her up.

In her eight years, Gabby had never been outside the couple’s house and didn’t know how to play or bark. The author and her new charge formed an immediate bond, and Keel worked for months to transform Gabby into a joyful creature who epitomized a trained, playful dog. Had the memoir ended there, Gabby and Keel’s tale would have been a worthy read.

However, when the author herself falls critically ill and undergoes surgery, Gabby repays her kindness many times over, never leaving Keel’s side during the long recovery process. This chronicle of interspecies love and understanding will find a special place in readers’ hearts.

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BEST FRIENDS MAGAZINE May/June 2020

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