A Dog Named Beautiful
A Marine, a Dog, and a Long Road Trip Home
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
An uplifting and unforgettable story of a US Marine, his extraordinary dog, and the road trip of a lifetime.
"A beautiful, beautiful book." — Jenna Bush Hager
When US Marine Rob Kugler returns from war he had given up not only a year of his life in service to his country, but he had also lost a brother in the fighting as well. Lost in grief, Rob finds solace and relief in the one thing that never fails to put a smile on his face: his chocolate lab Bella. Exceptionally friendly, and always with - you wouldn’t believe it - a smile on her face, Bella is the friend Rob needs, and they spend their days exploring nature and taking photos.
But then Bella develops a limp in her front leg. It’s cancer, and the prognosis isn’t good. Rob has a choice, either to let Bella go now, or amputate her cancer riddled leg, and see what the next few months would bring.
For Rob, the choice is a no-brainer, and instead of waiting at home for the cancer to spread, Rob and Bella pack their bags and hit the road. Life is short, but the road ahead is long and winding, and as they criss-cross the country Rob and Bella meet remarkable, life-changing men and women who are quick to make friends with this incredible three-legged dog. A Dog Named Beautiful is a book full of inspiration, hope, love, tears, and laughs. Enjoy the journey.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this emotionally wrought memoir, marine veteran Kugler writes of his eight-year-old chocolate Lab Bella, who was diagnosed with bone cancer and and helped Kugler through a difficult time in his life. After a deployment to Iraq in 2008, Kugler was forced to retire for medical reasons. Back home in Broken Bow, Nebr., he battled depression and contemplated suicide, yet Bella was his rock: "She is my one constant. She loves me unconditionally." After Bella was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and had her left front leg amputated, the two set out on a trek across America. "She's helping me find something I so desperately need," Kugler writes. Through flashbacks, Kugler recounts a poor but loving childhood, and stories of his brother, Mike, who was killed while they were both serving in Iraq. As Kugler and Bella travel, Bella's unassailable enthusiasm inspires Kugler to cope with his depression while she instills passion in those they meet. "She's spreading happiness and inspiration.... This dog with three legs and terminal cancer still loves life," he writes. Bella lives months beyond what doctors thought ("These adventures are keeping her alive," says her vet), and it is through Bella that Kugler meets a woman and forms a relationship that lasts after Bella's death. Kugler's heartfelt and uplifting story reveals the transformative power pets can have.
