Book Title: It’s Just A Dog

Author: Russ Ryan

Publication Date: December 15, 2013

It’s Just A Dog tells the story of Charlie Keefe and his Jack Russell terrier named Pete. Charlie adopted Pete from a local shelter and the rescued pup became the center of his life. A struggling artist, Charlie eventually made a name for himself painting dog portraits. He became known as the Dog Painter or “The Picasso of Pooch Portraits”, all thanks to Pete, his inspiration. Life with Pete and his paintings were wonderful but then Pete started getting sickly due to old age and had to be let go.

For months, Charlie struggled with the loss of his best mate and the fact that he wasn’t there with Pete when he crossed the rainbow bridge. To get back on his life, he agreed to foster a rescue dog named Brownie, a King Charles Cavalier. And just when he thought things will start getting back to normal, something unbelievable happened. Something magical.

I have to admit I thought the storyline was pretty common after reading several pages of it. I thought it was something that has already been rehashed by several authors. But I was proven wrong. Reading through, the author took a common storyline and injected a bit of “magic” to it. And it made everything even more interesting!

As a dog lover myself, I find this book heartwarming and entertaining at the same time. It’s light, yes, but still full of emotions. After you have read through the last page you’ll wonder what your reaction will be like if it happens to you too. How will you be able to take it?

Dog lovers secretly wish for something like this: to be given the chance like Charlie did. So in a way, this book is like an echo of every dog lovers’ wishful thinking for that one more chance, magical or not.