Congratulations on your win! Tell us about your experience and expertise, and how this relates to your entry. What target audience did you write for, and why?

This book took hold of me and demanded to be written. I had recently retired from a career as a librarian when I was suddenly seized by the fervent wish to celebrate and honor the dogs who have shared my life and shaped it in such profound ways. I wanted to tell the stories in a way that would reveal not just my own experiences, but how deeply and fully we humans benefit from our relationships with dogs, and how much we learn from them.

The book is written for anyone interested in dogs, and especially those who are intrigued by the spiritual aspects of our close relationships with them. I tell the stories of my ten dogs in relation to the heart qualities that in Buddhist teachings are called The Ten Perfections. I’m not a Buddhist expert or scholar, but I have found these teachings helpful in navigating challenges, and I share them in this book as a fellow traveler on life’s journey.

The stories emerge from my life experience with dogs, including more than twenty years as a therapy dog volunteer and instructor, and as a certified dog trainer and an Animal Assisted Intervention Specialist.

What prompted you to enter this specific entry? Why do you think it struck a special chord with the public and the judges—and with you?

From readers, I’ve learned that the book reminds them of their own dogs and the closeness they’ve shared, and that the stories offer reassurance that our dogs’ love doesn’t ever end–that it is with us, always. Readers tell me that the book, with its honest portrayal of my mistakes and challenges, leaves them feeling less alone with their own imperfections. They tell me that the book brings both tears and laughter. All of this has been so meaningful and moving to hear.

For me, sharing these stories has fulfilled the aim that possessed me–to celebrate my dogs–and all dogs–for the tremendous gifts they bring. But something else, too, emerged in the writing. This book is also my effort to atone for the ways I’ve stumbled and struggled, and at times failed, my beloved dogs. Revealing those failures openly was wrenchingly difficult, but to me felt crucial to the purpose of this book.

How big a part have dogs played in your personal and professional life? Was there a particular dog that sparked your interest in interacting with the public? Tell us about this dog[s] in your contest entry.

The Ten Perfections is a book about how my dogs have shaped my life in myriad and truly monumental ways. My story about my Pomeranian Jasper, for example, is about his wisdom in knowing that what we put out in the world is what we get back, and how in a very dark time he found me the love of my life. The story about my Golden Retriever Gracie tells how she brought equanimity and balance when my life was falling apart. The chapter about my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Isabel is about her pure loving kindness, and how with her gentle, healing heart, she built bridges to other people that for me had been out of reach. The book is about how each of my dogs changed my life for the better by connecting me with others and teaching me how to be in the world.

How big a part have people played in your association with dogs? Family? Friends? Peers? Do you have any favorite writers or graphic artists? How have they influenced your career?

I am an introvert, and social connections in groups and with new people have not been easy for me. My dogs have enabled me to connect with other people more broadly and more fully–a main theme of The Ten Perfections. All my dogs, especially the four I have partnered with as therapy dogs, have drawn me into relationships with my fellow humans, including people of all ages and walks of life. They have connected me to my neighborhood and community, found me friends, and even my life partner. They have bonded me with other humans in ways I could not do on my own.

I admire, enjoy, and have learned from the work of so many brilliant dog memoirists, including Sy Montgomery, Jon Katz, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Noel Fitzpatrick, Colin Campbell, and Julie Barton. They’ve shown me how powerful it is to be open and honest about the deep joys, as well as the complexities, of our relationships with dogs, and have brought me the great comfort of feeling that other souls understand the unique and transformative bond between humans and dogs.

I am particularly grateful to the talented and generous dog writers E.B. Bartels and Karen Fine, who have supported and encouraged me as a new writer, and led me to the DWAA contest.

When you consider both your personal and professional canine-related achievements, which one stands out the most? And why?

What stands out for me is the many years I have spent as a therapy dog volunteer and workshop instructor with Dog B.O.N.E.S. (Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support): Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts. Sharing my dogs with people in need of comfort and bringing more therapy dog teams into our world has brought profound fulfillment, meaning, and happiness to my life. My book offers a song of gratitude for how my dogs’ love has brought me all that joy and connection.

What is the driving force that sparks your work?

I am driven by the wish to use the last chapter of my life to help others feel how important, meaningful, and transformative it is to share our lives with dogs, and how much we as humans owe them.

What ongoing or future canine projects do you have planned? Are they personal or professional or both?

I am in the final stages of working on a manuscript for a book I’m calling Healing Hearts: How Therapy Dog Visits Change Lives. It’s been a tremendous joy to work on. I’ve interviewed over a dozen other therapy dog teams and have woven their moving stories along with mine into a book that is part memoir, and part guide. Through the stories, the book aims to show how therapy dogs help not only the people they visit, but the therapy dog handlers, too. My hope is that this book will offer a window on the profound impact of therapy dogs, and also ease the path of readers interested in trying therapy dog volunteering, so they, too, can find the special joy of sharing their dogs’ love, and connecting with people in need.

What would you recommend to those who wish to enter this category in next year’s contest?

My heartfelt recommendation would be to jump in, even if unsure. Simply participating in this historic contest was an honor, and offered a unique way to join with like-minded writers.

To conclude this interview, what thoughts would you like to add?

I want to thank the DWAA for offering this contest, which is a labor of love. Being part of it has been a peak experience, especially as the author of an independently published book. It’s given me the opportunity to reach more readers with what my heart wants to share: how dogs’ love changes us. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to be part of the writing contest, and the DWAA.