A Girl and Her Dogs

This is a story about a girl and her extraordinary rescue dogs. The girl is my daughter Kelsey and the dogs are named Izzie and Sadie. The four of us are a family united by love and separated through the cruelty of other humans. The only way Kelsey and I can deal with our tragic loss is to write about it. Kelsey was found in a Russian orphanage, when she was eleven months old and weighing less than fourteen pounds. The doctors did not know if she would ever walk or talk. She has been diagnosed as having autism, intellectual disabilities, and Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome. Kelsey is currently a seventh grade special education student. She is thriving and is on the honor roll. She is not your typical seventh grade student. Currently, Kelsey is a nationally recognized advocate, community volunteer, beauty queen, author, and athlete. None of this success would have been possible if not for the love of her two rescue dogs, Izzie and Sadie. The most significant turning point in Kelsey's life was the day she met her dog Izzie. Since second grade, Izzie has been her protector, best friend, and confidant. They were joined a few years later by an abandoned puppy named Sadie. It has been the power of this bond, cemented by mutual love, that has forever changed Kelsey's life. Their story is dramatic. These dogs saved our lives on more than one occasion, including a situation that involved a missing child and law enforcement officers from two counties. They deserved to spend the rest of their lives with us. Unfortunately, that is not how their story ends. We were forced to make a heartbreaking decision to let them go in order to keep them safe. We are forever grateful to the kind volunteers at the animal shelter who helped us. Some of the proceeds from this book will be donated to that shelter.