Children’s Letters to Dog
By Paul Amelchenko Photography by Stacey Brandon
Children’s Letters to Dog
By Paul Amelchenko Photography by Stacey Brandon
WILLOW CREEK PRESS
®
Foreword When searching for inspiration, always look under the barbecue. Shortly after my first book was published, I was in my backyard reading and watching Brinks, my dog, chase squirrels, eat dirt and lick the drip cup under the barbecue. I was feeling truly grateful. I had accomplished one of my life’s goals and, even better, I was doing some good in the process. Brinks and I donate 25% of our profits from The Da Vinci Dog to animal rescue organizations. As I continued reading, I came across a tiny paragraph asking kids to write to dogs at a local shelter. I imagined what these letters might say—how sweet and sincere they might be. I thought of Bill Cosby and Kids Say the Darndest Things and how incredibly funny kids can be. Then I heard Brinks tip over the barbecue. As I lifted the barbecue and wiped the cold grease off Brinks’ nose, I was already planning my next book. I called my friend, photographer Stacey Brandon, and asked her to partner with me. We asked the Humane Society if their dogs could be our models. And we invited students at North Broward Preparatory School in Florida to write some letters.
Kids will be kids. And that’s a good thing. The children had never met these dogs, but the sincere love they shared was clear in so many of the letters. They told the dogs about their families and friends and the sports they like to play. Kaitlyn and Macy drew pictures. Ryan told Rex about his favorite foods—bacon and hot dogs. While Evan, an inquisitive seven year old, asked these questions: “What is the biggest car wash in the world? What is the most medium car wash? What is the smallest car wash?” Truly three of life’s most puzzling mysteries. It was my intention to return to the Humane Society with the letters and read them to each of the dogs—but I never had the chance. Just six weeks after we photographed these special pets, they had all moved on to their forever homes. And, after personally meeting each dog, it’s hard to say who was luckier: the dogs who found families, or the families who found them. Today, there are still millions of pets just like them—happy, playful and perfect—sitting in shelters across America. I urge you to adopt your next dog from a local Humane Society or rescue group. You’ll be rewarded with a loving, loyal friend. And, you never know, that friend just may inspire you to write a book—maybe even two.