EP #1599: The Story of Bella, the Unlikely Therapy Dog

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Lisa is joined by Jean Baur who talks about her book, Joy Unleashed: The Story of Bella, the Unlikely Therapy Dog. Jean is an author and speaker and has written three books--the first two on career issues and the last about her therapy dog, Bella. She designs and delivers workshops and presentations for library staff and was a member of the National Speakers Association. For special occasions her current therapy dog, Rudy, comes with her to events and always impresses the audience with his sweetness and amazing tricks. She's working on a new book, "The Edge of a Dark Ravine: How Disobenience Saved Me." Set in the 1950's and 60's, it's a family saga about power and identify. To learn more about Jean and her work, or to invite her to give a presentation as an author (see can do Zoom talks for bookclubs), please visit www.JeanBaur.com. 

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In 2007, Mary Eldergill, a volunteer member of Amigos de Los Animales (Friends of the Animals), discovered a group of newborn puppies on Dead Dog Beach in Puerto Rico. Mary rescued and rehabilitated them and, three months later, they flew to Newark, New Jersey, to be placed in their forever homes.

Jean Baur and her husband adopted one of Mary’s rescues—a dog named Bella—and opened her Pennsylvania home to her new best friend. Just as Jean enrolled Bella in certified therapy-dog classes, she lost her job at the age of sixty-five. This new work, visiting hospital patients with her therapy job, gave Jean hope and a new purpose in life.

After moving to Connecticut, Bella’s work expanded to nursing homes and elementary schools, as well as local hospitals and cancer centers. She met an Alzheimer’s patient who learned to smile again after Bella took a treat from her hand. She also befriended a six-year-old boy with autism (who previously held a deep fear of dogs) along with a disabled hospital patient who was withdrawn and uncommunicative until Bella jumped into the bed with him and coaxed him to open up again.

Jean and Bella’s journey into the world of therapy-dog work gave them a bright, new outlook—and has helped countless others overcome their own struggles—while proving to all that broken souls can, indeed, be healed.

Joy Unleashed is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the true power of the human-canine bond.