Dylan, the Golden Retriever therapy dog, has helped so many. As Sanders writes, "I considered it my responsibility to do whatever was necessary to see that he could fulfill his mission in life . . . to be of service to others." Sanders carries on Dylan's work with this book. With touching photos and heartfelt, unadorned prose, sometimes humorous, sometimes stark and uncompromising, Sanders reveals the depth and power of interspecies communication, bonding, and support.
When Dylan looked at you, his gaze penetrated directly into your soul. Any posturing of the ego or cultural assumptions of human superiority evaporated into the profound comfort of sharing the essence of one's existence with another sympathetic being. In one photo, Larry, sitting in a wheelchair, cries and calls Dylan the names of every dog he used to have. Dylan returns his gaze and the caption reads, "Yes, I'm right here, we all are." We could learn much from Dylan.
You and the Sunshine, Dylan is life-affirming, funny, touching, makes one cry, surprising, informative, and healing. The photos alone tell an incredible story of caring for others who need it most. There's no other choice, but to love this book that makes you smile between some tears. With deep psychological insight and inspired prose, Sanders breathes new life into Dylan's legacy.
Dylan's Veterinarian,
Anne Rylestone, DVM, PhD
About the Author
Linda Sanders recently retired after working for 50 years in demanding private and public sector management positions. Although she succeeded in finding time for creative pursuits of music and theater, as well as carrying out her personal mission to ease people's suffering in any small way she could, it was only after she retired that she found the time to write her first musical comedy, "Living the Island Life" and her first book, "You and the Sunshine, Dylan...".
