Reviewed by Terri Schlichenmeyer
If you’re a pet lover, you know that angels don’t always
come with wings.
Sometimes, an angel will have fur and claws, teeth and
a tail. And sometimes, the angel has no hair and is
facing the hardest thing anyone should endure. And
sometimes, those angels are meant for one another.
If you’re a pet lover, you know that angels don’t always
come with wings.
Sometimes, an angel will have fur and claws, teeth and
a tail. And sometimes, the angel has no hair and is
facing the hardest thing anyone should endure. And
sometimes, those angels are meant for one another.
In the new book Just Gus by Laurie Williams, photos by Roslyn Banish, you’ll read a true
love story of a girl and her dog and the heavenly way they came together.
Once upon a time, on the streets of New York City, a stray dog lived by his wits and his
luck. But then, his luck ran out. The dog was hit by a truck and left for dead.
When a Good Samaritan picked the little dog up and took him to a local veterinarian’s
office, someone volunteered to pay for x-rays. One of the interns talked a veterinarian into
doing surgery on the dog. The intern, Jenna, was determined that this brave dog find a
home. But who would care for a dog with “special needs”?
When Stephanie, who lived almost around the corner from the vet’s office, learned
that a dog was available for adoption, she asked to be considered. Stephanie had been
diagnosed with cancer, and had been turned down by several shelters that were
concerned about her illness. Jenna wanted it to work, so Gus, as the dog was named,
went to live with The Girl Next Door.
Over the next few weeks, as Gus healed from his injuries, his exuberance drew
Stephanie out of her apartment and to a local park where dogs could run and play without
being leashed. Gus was a friendly guy, and he met all sorts of new friends on the way to
the park.
Once he was off-leash, he made even more friends, both of the human kind and of the
canine kind.
Stephanie, too, found many new friendships.
Love, they say, conquers all… but it can’t conquer cancer. As Stephanie weakened, she
raced to finish a novel that she had always dreamed of writing.
She also pondered how she was going to say goodbye to friends and family, and to the
one “human” who loved her most of all.
No matter what you do, if you’re a dog lover, don’t pick up this book without also getting a
big box of tissues because Just Gus is almost guaranteed to make you cry. Author Laurie
Williams says in her introduction that it’s nearly impossible to comprehend the sheer
enormity of shelter animals that are euthanized, so she decided to follow the story of one
dog and his owner. While you know what’s going to happen at the end of this book, there
is a bittersweet as-happy-as-possible ending that will make you know everything turned
out okay after all.
Pick up a copy of this book for yourself or any animal person.
For a dog lover, a puppy parent, or anyone who ever loved a pooch, Just Gus is just the
thing to read.
love story of a girl and her dog and the heavenly way they came together.
Once upon a time, on the streets of New York City, a stray dog lived by his wits and his
luck. But then, his luck ran out. The dog was hit by a truck and left for dead.
When a Good Samaritan picked the little dog up and took him to a local veterinarian’s
office, someone volunteered to pay for x-rays. One of the interns talked a veterinarian into
doing surgery on the dog. The intern, Jenna, was determined that this brave dog find a
home. But who would care for a dog with “special needs”?
When Stephanie, who lived almost around the corner from the vet’s office, learned
that a dog was available for adoption, she asked to be considered. Stephanie had been
diagnosed with cancer, and had been turned down by several shelters that were
concerned about her illness. Jenna wanted it to work, so Gus, as the dog was named,
went to live with The Girl Next Door.
Over the next few weeks, as Gus healed from his injuries, his exuberance drew
Stephanie out of her apartment and to a local park where dogs could run and play without
being leashed. Gus was a friendly guy, and he met all sorts of new friends on the way to
the park.
Once he was off-leash, he made even more friends, both of the human kind and of the
canine kind.
Stephanie, too, found many new friendships.
Love, they say, conquers all… but it can’t conquer cancer. As Stephanie weakened, she
raced to finish a novel that she had always dreamed of writing.
She also pondered how she was going to say goodbye to friends and family, and to the
one “human” who loved her most of all.
No matter what you do, if you’re a dog lover, don’t pick up this book without also getting a
big box of tissues because Just Gus is almost guaranteed to make you cry. Author Laurie
Williams says in her introduction that it’s nearly impossible to comprehend the sheer
enormity of shelter animals that are euthanized, so she decided to follow the story of one
dog and his owner. While you know what’s going to happen at the end of this book, there
is a bittersweet as-happy-as-possible ending that will make you know everything turned
out okay after all.
Pick up a copy of this book for yourself or any animal person.
For a dog lover, a puppy parent, or anyone who ever loved a pooch, Just Gus is just the
thing to read.
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