Wednesday, July 10, 2013

"If I Should Die Before My Dog_____" Book Review

Cover Image courtesy of
Joe and Cathy Connolly
There are some things we'd rather not consider but they are necessary. One of those things is that even though a dog's life is far shorter in human years, we may not outlive our four-legged companion. Most of us have considered, and certainly should do, adding a codicil to our will, or incorporating it into the original, making arrangements for any pets who might outlive us. You do this by not mentioning the pet by name because you don't know who will be with you at the time of your death, but you specify a person who has agreed to look after any pets who are left when you die. And you might want to specify an amount of money to be conveyed to that person to help defray the cost of food, veterinary visits, etc. to the person who will inherit your companion. 

That's good as far as it goes but it doesn't go far enough. Have you considered what you would want to tell the person who will live with your pet and love and care for him for the rest of his life? (I use the pronoun "he" for expediency. Obviously, your pet may be a she or an assortment of males and/or females.) 

Joe and Cathy Connolly have taken the guesswork out of what we should consider in the way of information with their book, "If I Should Die Before My Dog_____" a soft cover book that is at once instructive and a workbook to be given to your companion's new owner.

Not just covering the basics of Name, Nickname, Medical History, Microchip, Food, etc., this book encompasses so much more.  Joe and Cathy have included things you may not have thought about adding such as Things That Scare Me, Toys and Games, My Bed, My Bad Habits, Words I Know, Riding in the Car and much, much more. It also includes a Thank You.


Image Courtesy of Joe & Cathy
Connolly
This is an invaluable book, one that you'll not only treasure for the memories that you will preserve but it will be of inestimable help to the person who will cherish your dog after you've gone and help make the transition easier for the new owner and your dog.

The Connolly's are working on a Cat version of the book which will be a most welcome addition for pet owners. Meanwhile, I urge dog owners to give serious consideration to buying this book now and start writing down all of the important facts about your companion.  There's even a place for pictures.  You won't regret it. Among other places, you can buy this book at Amazon:

http://tinyurl.com/jwhluyo

*Note: This review is my opinion.  I was not compensated but only received a review copy of the book so I could read it.

4 comments:

Yvonne said...

I am so appreciative of this kind of report, Darlene. I need to start thinking about this. Not getting any younger, dontcha know! And, I don't want my pets left blowing in the wind. Thank you for this. I will be sharing.

Darlene said...

Thanks for your comment Yvonne. It could happen to any one of us at any time at any age. I think it's important to make those arrangements. It should give great peace of mind.

Cathy Connolly said...

Darlene,
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review of our book.
It is a very difficult topic that most of us don't care to have to think about, but the what if I don't address the topic, what then becomes of our precious 4-legged companions. And, if we do outlive them their book then becomes a precious memory of the life we lived together.
Once again, thank you for such a wonderful review and bringing the topic to your readers!

Darlene said...

Cathy, I'm grateful to you and Joe for tackling this difficult subject and for making the nearly-unthinkable an easy process.