This is the true story of Mr. Beebs, a dog who inspired a middle-aged woman to go back to college, run for state legislature, and start a non-profit organization for pet owners. The author says: "Mr. Beebs was the kind of friend that comes around once in a lifetime. He stood by me when no one else could or would. I brought him to my music gigs, and while I played the piano, he gave his measure of affection to the elderly, the lonely, the infirmed, and the dying. He was an angel with fur. He didn't deserve what happened to him following his June 6, 2006, ACL surgery. Mr. Beebs went in for a torn ligament, but the surgery would cost him his leg. "The hospital-acquired infection he got from that surgery came from bacteria found in both human and animal intestines. It was a multi-drug-resistant bacterium, and it took his leg, my life savings, and at times my sense of humor. And yet, ours is a story of hope, because bad things happen to good people and to good dogs. It's not what happens to us that matters, it's what we do with the experience that counts."

Author Biography

In her own words: "For 30 years I was a keyboard player, singer, and published songwriter. "As a musician, I performed for our troops in the Indian Ocean aboard the Aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk, the DMZ in Korea, Subic Bay in the Philippines, Japan, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and throughout Europe. "I have also lived and performed in Australia, Canada, China, and what I call the epicenter: Manhattan, the place where I spent ten years gigging and becoming a published songwriter. The CD I recorded at Unique Studios in the middle of Times Square was called State of Being. It's still out in the world, circling the Web and getting downloads without any intervention from me. "In 2011, at the age of fifty-two, I graduated valedictorian from Southern Connecticut State University. My education and bachelor's degree in political science were inspired by my dog, Mr. Beebs, who's also the reason I wrote this book. "I have since run for state legislature, become a State Council member for the Humane Society of the United States, and have lobbied for legislation that directly affects puppy mills, gestation crates and confinement, an ivory ban, court advocate for animal cruelty cases, a cross-reporting bill linking animal abuse to domestic violence, anti-tethering, and dissection choice. "Today, I'm the founder of Bark to Be Heard, a not-for-profit organization that gives pet owners a voice. "Mr. Beebs made me the person I am today."