Moments With Baxter

Moments With Baxter has a permanent place on my coffee table and is already being perused by every guest who visits my home. This book would make an excellent holiday, birthday, or thank you gift for the special people in your life.

Books about dogs have always been pretty popular (think "Marley and Me"), but I've never read one as real, raw, and touching as the stories of Baxter, the pet therapy dog. Baxter was a rescue dog turned hospice hero. He began volunteering for San Diego Hospice when he was 12 years young and touched the lives of hundreds of hospice patients, staff, and loved ones. Stories of how Baxter worked his magic are told in Moments With Baxter, written by Baxter's owner, Melissa Joseph.

The stories are brief but powerful. I brought the book with me to my daughter's gymnastic class to read while I was waiting, and I ended up embarrassing myself by crying like a baby. I passed the book around to other waiting parents and staff, and my tears were met with tears of their own. These were tears of wonder and joy at how something as simple as a visit from a furry friend can touch the life of someone with little life left.

The patients in the book are unique and varied, young and old, but the pervasive theme is the same: love. Every patient, loved one, or staff member that met Baxter was touched by the love he seemed to convey. Each story is accompanied by photos taken by Dennis Bussey, Melissa's husband and Baxter's co-owner. The pictures are as beautiful and touching as the stories.