Horses with a Mission

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY SEP 12, 2005

We all know of dogs that have performed seemingly miraculous acts of mercy and heroism. Some of the tales in the Andersons' latest tribute to the animal world (after Angel Cats and Angel Animals) includes such stories, but the collection goes even further: into the spiritual. Some of the stories involve dogs returning after death to communicate with their owners. Fred Wickert, for example, doesn't seem like the woo-woo type: a Vietnam vet, he'd had a long career in the air force when he fell asleep one night while guarding Air Force One and believes his late cocker spaniel, Freckles, came to him in the hangar and wakened him before he was discovered sleeping on duty. Most of the stories included here involve dogs in this life rather than the next, but are based on the belief that dogs are spiritual creatures. Collie Zeke woke Diana Johnson at 3:30 a.m. to let her know her premature baby had stopped breathing, saving her life. Bill Mann tells of the deep, spiritual bond between his father and Aussie, who would break his chain to follow him on walks after Mann's father showed the dog kindness one day. New Age dog lovers will be moved by these stories and find their faith in their pets' heavenly nature affirmed.