The underdogs : children, dogs, and the power of unconditional love

From two-time National Book Award nominee Melissa Fay Greene comes a profound and surprising account of dogs on the front lines of rescuing both children and adults from the trenches of grief, emotional, physical, and cognitive disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Underdogs tells the story of Karen Shirk, felled at age twenty-four by a neuromuscular disease and facing life as a ventilator-dependent, immobile patient, who was turned down by every service dog agency in the country because she was "too disabled." Her nurse encouraged her to tone down the suicidal thoughts, find a puppy, and raise her own service dog. Karen did this, and Ben, a German shepherd, dragged her back into life. "How many people are stranded like I was," she wondered, "who would lead productive lives if only they had a dog?" A thousand state-of-the-art dogs later, Karen Shirk's service dog academy, 4 Paws for Ability, is restoring broken children and their families to life. Long shunned by scientists as a manmade, synthetic species, and oft- referred to as "Man's Best Friend" almost patronizingly, dogs are finally paid respectful attention by a new generation of neuroscientists and animal behaviorists. Melissa Fay Greene weaves the latest scientific discoveries about our co-evolution with dogs with Karen's story and a few exquisitely rendered stories of suffering children and their heartbroken families. Written with characteristic insight, humanity, humor, and irrepressible joy, what could have been merely touching is a penetrating, compassionate exploration of larger questions: about our attachment to dogs, what constitutes a productive life, and what can be accomplished with unconditional love. From two-time National Book Award nominee Melissa Fay Greene comes a profound and surprising account of dogs on the front lines of rescuing both children and adults from the trenches of grief, emotional, physical, and cognitive disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Underdogs tells the story of Karen Shirk, felled at age twenty-four by a neuromuscular disease and facing life as a ventilator-dependent, immobile patient, who was turned down by every service dog agency in the country because she was too disabled. Her nurse encouraged her to tone down the suicidal thoughts, find a puppy, and raise her own service dog. Karen did this, and Ben, a German shepherd, dragged her back into life. How many people are stranded like I was, she wondered, who would lead productive lives if only they had a dog? A thousand state-of-the-art dogs later, Karen Shirks service dog academy, 4 Paws for Ability, is restoring broken children and their families to life. Long shunned by scientists as a man made, synthetic species, and oft- referred to as Mans Best Friend almost patronizingly, dogs are finally paid respectful attention by a new generation of neuroscientists and animal behaviorists. Melissa Fay Greene weaves the latest scientific discoveries about our co-evolution with dogs with Karens story and a few exquisitely rendered stories of suffering children and their heartbroken families. Written with characteristic insight, humanity, humor, and irrepressible joy, what could have been merely touching is a penetrating, compassionate exploration of larger questions: about our attachment to dogs, what constitutes a productive life, and what can be accomplished with unconditional love. Describes The Unbreakable Bond Between Humans And Canines Through The Story Of A Severely Disabled Woman Who Began Training Her Own Service Dogs After She Was Deemed Too Disabled To Receive One By Every Agency In The U.s.--novelist. Juke -- 4 Paws For Ability -- Connor -- Karen & Piper -- Lucy -- Casey & Connor -- Karen & Ben -- Logan -- Hero Dogs -- Iyal -- Shelter Dogs -- Prison Dogs -- Lucy & Jolly -- Casey & Connor Ii -- Logan & Juke -- Eddie Hill & Timber & Dante & Keeper & Jiminy -- Micha & Casey -- Iyal & Chancer. Melissa Fay Greene. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [323]-336) And Index. "Describes the unbreakable bond between humans and canines through the story of a severely disabled woman who began training her own service dogs after she was deemed ((٣to receive one by every agency in the U.S."--NoveList Describes the unbreakable bond between humans and canines through the story of Karen Shirk, a severely disabled woman who began training her own service dogs after she was deemed "too disabled" to receive one