Life With McDuff

Everyone can relate to the lessons taught by McDuff, the extraordinary Scottish terrier therapy dog, in Life with McDuff:  Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog.

Whether Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Shintoist, any other religion, or no religion at all, people of all races and cultures can learn something from McDuff about life and living.  He taught unconditional love, forgiveness, looking beyond appearances, nonresistance, and being of service to others.  And, he didn’t stop – even after death.

Five young adults with severe mental and physical disabilities in Opportunity Village Project PRIDE responded to McDuff in amazing ways resulting in Las Vegas television news and Henderson, Nevada, front page newspaper coverage. 

A fifth grader with reading problems went from a “D” average to the honor roll after reading to McDuff in the Reading with Rover program.  McDuff took therapy dog work to a whole new level.  The book tells about these and other special relationships, and how they changed Judy McFadden’s life as she traveled with him on his mission. 

McDuff was a spirit animal.  Judy writes about his supernatural abilities during their nine years together and the eerie events that occurred during and after his death. 

Anyone who has ever put a beloved pet down will identify with the anguish described in the book. 

McDuff provided his special brand of therapy during turbulent events in Judy’s life during a bitter divorce after a domestic violence incident and encounter with a brilliant white light, her mother’s home invasion and Judy’s agonizing decision to disconnect life support, and a precedent-setting jury trial that received courtroom and national news coverage.

McDuff wasn’t always the dedicated therapy dog on a noble mission.  He had two sides, one dedicated and dignified and the other stubborn and hilarious.  Judy describes in numerous amusing anecdotes the Scottish terrier stubbornness that combined with his supreme intelligence.  It created a devious little monster and tears of frustration for her.

Readers will be motivated and encouraged to enrich their lives by volunteering in animal assisted reading and therapy dogs programs after reading Life with McDuff:  Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog.  Contact information is provided for Therapy Dogs International, AKC Canine Good Citizen® Test, Opportunity Village and Henderson Libraries Reading with Rover.