Book Review:

David Frei, best known as "the voice of Westminster," has penned a new, heart-warming book, "Angel on a Leash: Therapy Dogs and the Lives They Touch," about his Brittany dogs, Teigh and Belle (and eventually, Grace and Angel), and the wonderful world of therapy dogs.

David takes his readers on their collective journey of providing comfort and helping to spiritually heal very ill hospital patients through visitations and play time with his dogs, who have been well-trained and certified by Delta Society. In general, dogs offer instinctive, unconditional love and kindness; and in this book, readers get the opportunity to read about this incredible bond between the dogs and their new friends, when a patient's pain is almost too much to bear.

From his dog therapy work in Seattle, David carried his positive therapy "movement" with him when he and his wife Cherilyn moved to New York City. Most hospitals in New York (and around the country) didn't have a dog therapy healing program. While some were initially reluctant, David and his dogs encouraged the hospitals to allow them to visit with patients and see for themselves how the human-canine interaction can be so beneficial and healing for the patients. The patients were met with cuddly, warm bodies, licks, and comfort, and the hospitals, including Mt. Sinai, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Ronald McDonald House New York, had a new program to offer their residents.

Of course, when other hospitals around the country got word of this new type of therapy, they wanted to sign on as well, and the non-profit Angel on a Leash Foundation (http://www.angelonaleash.com/index.cfm) was born.

Yes, some of the patient stories are sad and gut-wrenching, and others are incredibly happy. I laughed and cried my way through reading this book, and hugged my dog, Madison, more than she ever thought was possible, thinking how much joy and love she's brought to my life. So I have some understanding of what dogs can do to help the patients, just from my own life-changing experience.

In addition to my personal experience, I used to bring Madison with me to patients in the Alzheimer's unit of a senior home on Long Island, while my grandmother was living there. And to see the residents' faces light up from their distant, far-off places when Madison walked into the room and walked over to each person waiting for them to pet her, was incredible for me. To know that I was bringing joy to even one person that day, and that Madison was bring joy unconditionally, was so rewarding and made me feel happy. So I can testify to David's experience that dog therapy definitely does work!

Truly, you'd be missing out if you don't read this book. Not to mention that a portion of the book's proceeds will benefit the Angel on a Leash Foundation.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this Saturday evening's "New Yorkie Runway" event (http://www.angelonaleash.com/new-yorkie-runway.cfm) at the New Yorker Hotel, in conjunction with Club New Yorkie and Angel on a Leash, as well as the Pre-Westminster Fashion Show, also on Saturday evening, at Hotel Pennsylvania's Top Ballroom (a few blocks from the New Yorker Hotel, http://www.pre-westminsterfashionshow.com/.)