Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself : A Man and His Dog's Struggle to Find Salvation

An inspiring story about determination, bullying, and the invisible hands that brought a man and dog together to overcome their dark legacies. While hiking on a solo vacation in a remote, uninhabitable region of Arizona, Zachary Anderegg happened upon Riley, an emaciated puppy clinging to life, at the bottom of a 350-foot canyon. In a daring act of humanity that trumped the deliberate savagery behind Rileys presence in such a place, Zak single-handedly orchestrated a delicate rescue. What didnt come out in the initial burst of publicity this story received is that Zak and Rileys destinies were intertwined long before they improbably found each other. For much of Zaks childhood, he was at the bottom of a veritable canyon himselfa canyon whose imprisoning depth and darkness was created by bullies who just wouldnt quit and parents who werent capable of love. From the age of five, Zak was everyones favorite target. When Zak came upon Riley, the puppys condition bespoke his abusers handiworkthree shotgun pellets embedded beneath his skin, teeth turned permanently black from malnutrition. The meeting was one of a man and a dog singularly suited to save each other. As a former US Marine sergeant, Zak was one of only a few people with the mettle and physical wherewithal to get Riley out. And in rescuing him, Zak was also attempting to save himself, conquering the currents of cruelty that swelled beneath his early life and always threatened to drown him. 21 color photographs Two broken souls forge a healing bond in this “extraordinary story not only of love, but of strength, perseverance, and above all, courage” (Kay Pfaltz, author of Flash’s Song: How One Small Dog Turned Into One Big Miracle). While hiking on a solo vacation in a remote region of Arizona, Zachary Anderegg happened upon Riley, an emaciated puppy clinging to life, at the bottom of a 350-foot canyon. In a daring act of humanity, Zak single-handedly orchestrated a delicate rescue. But Zak and Riley’s destinies were intertwined long before they improbably found each other. For much of Zak’s childhood, he was at the bottom of his own canyon—a dark canyon created by a painful childhood of relentless bullies and parents who weren’t capable of love. When Zak came upon Riley, the puppy’s condition told a story of horrible abuse—three shotgun pellets embedded beneath his skin, teeth turned permanently black from malnutrition. The meeting was one of a man and a dog singularly suited to save each other. Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself is a touching story of overcoming fear, pain, and the regrets of the past with the help of a much-needed friend, in which “Anderegg served as an angel to Riley and, in turn, Riley did what dogs do best . . . Help us to heal” (Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc.). Hiking on a solo vacation in a remote, uninhabitable region of Arizona, Anderegg happened upon Riley, an emaciated puppy clinging to life at the bottom of a 350-foot canyon. For much of Anderegg's childhood, he was at the bottom of a veritable canyon himself-- a canyon whose imprisoning depth and darkness was created by bullies who just wouldn't quit and parents who weren't capable of love. Riley had three shotgun pellets embedded beneath his skin, teeth turned permanently black from malnutrition. In rescuing him, Anderegg was conquering the currents of cruelty that swelled beneath his own life and always threatened to drown him Cover; Half Title; Title; Copyright; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; CHARACTER; INTRODUCTION; Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; CONCLUSION; Page Arizona Animal Hospital Angel Fund; RESOURCES; RILEYS STORY FEATURED ON THE WEB