The Divinity of Dogs

True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man's Best Friend

By: Jennifer Skiff

Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Danny Campbell

"My dogs have been the reason I have woken up every single day of my life with a smile on my face. I am among the ranks of millions of people who appreciate the souls of dogs and know they are a gift of pure love and an example of all that is good." (Jennifer Skiff)

The Divinity of Dogs is about the moments you learn something profound about life from an experience with a dog. Featuring more than 70 stories culled from hundreds of submissions to the author's Web site, these inspiring and heartwarming true stories show where love, tolerance, comfort, compassion, loyalty, joyfulness, and even death have provided experiences that have led to spiritual enlightenment.

You'll meet Little Bit, the Chihuahua who detected a small lump in her owner's breast, a growth even doctors couldn't find. There's Emma, the devoted rottweiler who ferociously grabbed her owner's arm at the moment he was trying to commit suicide, saving his life. You'll be inspired by Luna, the retriever who dragged her owner to safety after she collapsed late at night in a field. And you'll fall in love with the many dogs who simply provide steady comfort when needed - dogs like Bo, the boxer who soothed his mistress after the loss of her son. The author also weaves her own experiences with dogs throughout the book, showing how they comforted her through mistreatment as a child, a divorce, and a cancer diagnosis.

The stories that make up The Divinity of Dogs provide hope, help, and healing for listeners in the complex and difficult times in which we live. Whether you believe dogs are divine or are actually a gift from the divine, The Divinity of Dogs gives you permission to accept what you know: Dogs are healers, educators, protectors, and tangible examples of pure love.

©2012 Jennifer Skiff (P)2013 Tantor

Wonderful true Love

I absolutely loved it, all so so true real love.
So many of the stories reminded me of my life with my babies I've loved & lost that are waiting for me over the rainbow bridge I miss and love them dearly will be happy someday to join them but in the meantime I'm loving the ones I have and hope that I'm not taken before they go because I would never want to leave them behind. Thank you for this wonderful heart felt reminder.

God is dog

If you could sum up The Divinity of Dogs in three words, what would they be?

God sent them

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Divinity of Dogs?

I am a bit biased, as my dog, Riley, is mentioned in one of the stories about PTSD. Carol Bradshaw wrote about her husband, Jack, and how he met Riley while he was one of my patients, and subsequently got Bandit. I was taken back to my times with my own dog, Riley, and watching him with his best buddies, Bandit and Jack.

What does Laural Merlington and Danny Campbell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I much prefer listening to my books, and Laural and Danny were able to capture the emotions of each story and present the characters in different ways that made me part of the stories. Reading can be boring and tiring for me, but I respond so much better if being told a story, so being able to listen to the book, and especially when I heard then say Riley's name, was entertaining.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't call it extreme, but I did cry as I missed my dog, Riley, who was mentioned in Carol Bradshaw's story of her husband, Jack and his PTSD and Bandit. I remembered when I brought Riley, my then service dog and part time therapy dog, to work and introduced him to Jack. The rest is history. When I heard his name and the whole story, I cried as I missed my Riley even more.

Any additional comments?

I love that there are so many people who truly believe in the divine nature of dogs (and all animals for that matter). These stories show us how animals are not the stupid, non feeling, decorative pieces believed by many. One does not have to be religious or spiritual to read and enjoy these stories. One just has to love animals and believe in the power of unconditional love. I experienced many things besides helping Jack with my Riley and could go on and on about the miracles and amazing deeds of dogs.

Not So Sure About the Miracle Aspect

This is a collection of short stories of people that love their dogs. Some are truly inspiring; the rest is filler and fluff. I can't say that any of them struck me as "divine"...just dogs being dogs (which is awesome in and of itself, but not otherworldly, in my opinion). I found the most inspiring accounts were those of the Service Dogs.

The Stories Outweigh Their Narrators

I thoroughly enjoyed these truly poignant, touchy, sometimes heartbreaking tales of canines' love for man (and woman), & vice versa. But the performances--well, I was far from impressed.

First, there were only two voices for the dozens of stories: one female, one male. I think the book would've been much more audibly engaging if there was anticipation as to whom one would hear next.
Secondly, and I believe this wasn't the narrators' fault, but the editors--- one story would often start no more than two seconds after the last one ended.... making it hard to know if said story was already done, particularly if the lady narrator was reading several in a row, which often occurred.
I HIGHLY recommend reading this book over listening to this version.

Love all my dogs

I have six dog children now. Four Boston Terriers, a French bulldog, and a min pin. I never had any human children of my own, but love my dogs as if they were. I am 64 now, and owned 12 dogs in my life, and can't imagine what my life would have been like without any of them. They all had their own little individual personalities.

Miracles abound

A touching collection of stories that show just how insightful, intelligent and emotionally bonded people and their dogs are. There are several tear jerker stories and most of the stories end with the dog dying somehow. But, the stories are well told and just helps demonstrate what most dog lovers already know - that their dog is really their best friend.