I'm so glad I picked this book up on a whim. The author is clearly besotted with his dog and isn't ashamed to tell the world (or at least those who read his book). He starts out telling the readers about dogs he grew up loving and how much he missed the companion of a dog when he grew up and moved into areas where dogs weren't allowed (now why would anyone do that?!). Eventually, he finds Ella, a white lab/greyhound puppy and he's a goner. For the next eight years she gives him unconditional love and one day a bell goes off. Hey, maybe he'll share some of this loving and he enrolls them in a service dog program where they spend the next few years bringing joy to the sick, the injured and the mentally handicapped. When Ella turns ten, the author takes her on a trip through dog-friendly Europe as a way of saying thanks for being such a loyal companion.

The book follows their adventures as they eat in fancy restaurants, visit touristy sites and shop for a Hermes scarf. This was a very charming, feel-good book only marred by a bit of repetitiveness here and there. Definitely recommended for dog lovers looking for a feel good read.

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This book was a little long in the teeth. He continuously gushed about how special his dog is - which was true, but a little much after reading it every other paragraph. Other than that, it was enjoyable to hear about his adventures in Europe. I would have liked to have read about the logistics of how he got over there. There was no transition from Ella in the US to her being in Europe.

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