Meet Samson, the mighty overcomer — a dashing Boston Terrier whose life overflows with purpose. He's crushed dog sports, invented his own brainy games, and even outsmarted his owner! Beyond that, he's served as a therapy dog and been a devoted sidekick to someone battling brain cancer, wrapping them in endless comfort. He radiates pure love. A year and a half ago, Samson lost both his eyes — and he's faced it all with jaw-dropping strength, courage, and grit. His hard-won lessons on beating adversity are now being turned into a book.—Brenda Stewart
It was the middle of the night — potty time! Me and the dogs all shuffled outside and back into the bedroom. I curled around Shaggy on his big floor cushion for a snuggle. We were so cozy-comfy that I drifted right off. Come morning, I woke up as usual... except nothing was usual at all! There I was, sprawled on the doggy floor-cushion, while Shaggy snored happily away up on MY bed!—Christine Riley
Hope, Faith, and Charity make up a fearsome suburban wolf pack. They don't spend their days on the hunt — but boy, are they busy! Their agenda? Iced coffee runs, scaring off rogue chipmunks, and dramatically alerting the whole neighbourhood whenever a terrifying Chihuahua dares to trot down the street. This pint-size pack never, ever wastes a single day.—Nicole Fuechsl
hunting covenant — Cricket is a senior dog who arrived shy and shut-down, having flunked his behaviour tests at the city shelter. Thank goodness a senior dog organization swooped in to save him! The moment I met Cricket, I just knew we were destined for each other. As he grew braver and more open to new experiences, I found myself blossoming right alongside him. Cricket even gave me the courage to write and publish a children’s book about him — something I never would have dared before. If life is about finding happiness, then I struck gold the day I found Cricket.—Michael Angelo Torres
Poppy was my everything — my life, my world, my whole heart. She was an abused, disabled, deaf, and mentally challenged rescue dog, yet she brought pure joy for a little over three years. She learned how to be a dog. She mastered things I never dreamed possible: burrowing into warm blankets and playing with toys. She taught me how to communicate without a single word — and endless patience as she took her time on the stairs. She’d trot a toy to my son to start a tug-of-war. Other-abled dogs give you so much, asking for nothing but love.—Ellen L. Meade
Brewsky — named by college boys — was our adopted heeler mix. At seven, lymphoma struck. From diagnosis to saying goodbye, only four hours passed, and we were shattered. Then I remembered what James Herriot, the beloved “All Creatures Great and Small” vet, always said: after losing a pet, get another one soon. Your grief won’t do anyone any good. What helps is saving another life through adoption — because it’s not really one specific dog you miss, but dogness itself. Four days later, we adopted Gracie, another heeler mix. We loved our boy, Brew, and we love our girl, Gracie, who makes our lives infinitely richer.—Dinah Swan
Ragamuffin. That's what my grandma dubbed her — and it fit the shaggy, straw-coloured furball in front of me perfectly. She looked like a cross between the dog from Because of Winn-Dixie and a wandering tumbleweed. This hay-bale-with-eyes peered up at me hopefully, tongue lolling. I offered a treat — the first of many. She slid into the family instantly and is now my grandma’s inseparable little shadow. The shelter named her Zoey, but she keeps the nickname Ragamuffin for those moments when a grooming session is seriously overdue.—Joely Hart
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