A Dog's Gift: The Inspirational Story of Veterans and Children Healed by Man's Best Friend

"Can a heart break and soar simultaneously?" So muses Drury (contributing editor, Men's Health; coauthor, The Last Stand of Fox Company) while observing a profoundly challenged child being helped by her "mobility assistance dog." The animal is supplied courtesy of Paws4People (p4p), the service-dog breeding and training organization founded and run by former naval intelligence officer Terry Henry and his daughter Kyria. Drury spends a year exploring the many branches of the outfit, reporting the astounding healing powers the dogs have on "bruised and bent human beings," including the war veterans and prison inmates who help train the dogs. Emotionally nuanced throughout, the book is especially sensitive to the PTSD-related demons of Henry; the careful way Drury teases out his story is one of many interesting narrative strands. Another involves the author himself—a flinty former war correspondent with family issues—who experiences a positive transformation. The book closes on a high with an account of the "Bump," an event in which the dogs choose the humans they'll assist.