Leigh Brill's story of her life with her service dog, Slugger, will inspire you, and break your heart, as so many animal stories do. But, don't hesitate to read A Dog Named Slugger. The story of this relationship needs to be told.Leigh Brill has cerebral palsy. Her childhood was spent suffering through surgeries, embarrassment, and hearing herself called "a cripple" as she fell. And, her cerebral palsy was the greatest secret of her childhood. It wasn't discussed, and she tried to hide it even through college, trying to appear normal. But, in 1992, while a grad student, her feet hurt; she fell, was late to class, and realized she needed help. At the right moment, a classmate showed up with her service dog, demonstrating how a dog could help someone with a disability. Given a flyer about Caring Canine Companions, Brill began hoping for a service dog of her own.
Enter Slugger, a yellow Labrador. For two years, Slugger had trained to be a companion. And, he was the perfect dog for Leigh. He was trained to carry her belongings, retrieve them when she dropped them, fetch her telephone, and open heavy doors.
Brill's own training with Slugger took time, and she tells of working with him as they learned to trust each other. When they passed the certification test, they passed on to another stage of life. Slugger's assistance enabled Leigh Brill to become more confident in herself. With Slugger by her side, she found friendship and relationships. But, it was that relationship with Slugger that inspired love and devotion on both sides.
A Dog Named Slugger is an education and an inspiration. Leigh Brill now has the confidence to reveal her own fears and weaknesses in this book, while she shows how a service dog can change a person's life. Slugger changed Leigh Brill's whole world. A Dog Named Slugger is a story of the power of love, and a dog.
Leigh Brill's website is http://www.leighbrill.com/
A Dog Named Slugger: The True Story of the Service Dog That Changed My Life by Leigh Brill. BelleBooks, ©2010. ISBN 9780984325658 (paperback), 248p.
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FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book, in hopes I would review it.
