Inspiring Animal Tales
Heartwarming Stories of Animal Courage, Generosity, and Love
AUTHOR: Roxanne Willems-Snopek
FORMAT: 5.5 x 8.5 pb / 128 pages
ISBN-10: 1554390478
ISBN-13: 9781554390472
The heartwarming stories in this collection provide hope to everyone who has ever wondered if they could overcome a diffcult start. The answer is yes, with a little help from an animal friend, and a good measure of love, trust, and dedication. From National Service Dogs to dogs with disabilities, from donkeys to parrots, the animals in this book have all brought joy and hope into people's lives. The stories are truly inspiring.
Prologue
Summer heat hung languid in the air. On the beach at Port Dover, parents sprawled on colourful chairs fanning themselves, while their children waded out as far as possible into the shallow lake. At the food stand, the vendor hustled to keep up with non-stop orders for soft drinks, foot-long hot dogs, and French fries.
Tim and Trish Brown arranged their family at the picnic table and set out their meal. Hot and hungry, everyone needed to eat, especially their autistic son, Matthew. Whenever they go out with their son the Browns are on high alert. They sat him securely between them on the bench but he wasn't happy. His agitation increased until they knew they had no choice but to pack up and go home as quickly as possible. Tim and Trish scrambled to gather their things, juggling picnic baskets and bags of wet towels while making sure someone always had a firm hand on Matthew. Like many people with autism, Matthew is completely unable to grasp the concept of danger. Through the crowded parking lot, each of them gripped one of his hands.
Suddenly he wriggled free and bolted, heedless of traffic. Both parents shrieked and ran after him, but Matthew, who loves nothing better than being chased, had the edge. Other times when he'd gotten away from them, they'd been able to catch up with him in time to prevent disaster.
But this time they were in a parking lot swarming with impatient drivers. Worse yet, the parking lot exited onto a high-traffic main road. This appeared to be Matthew's goal.
Tim ran, hoping against hope that he might overtake the energetic youngster. Terror spurred his feet; he knew that if he couldn't catch up, his son would sprint straight into several lanes of traffic going in both directions.
The distance between them was narrow, but Matthew had too much of a head start. If he reached the road, the results would almost certainly be tragic. There wasn't time to think, but in the slow-motion horror of the moment, Tim prepared himself for the worst. "Even with my adrenaline pumping and running as fast as I could," recalls Tim, "I was unable to catch him."
Suddenly a car just ahead of Matthew nosed cautiously into his pathway. Confused, he slowed his pace. Within moments, Tim reached him. "An alert motorist had seen the look of horror on my husband's face and blocked the exit with her car, explains Trish. "This prevented Matt from running into the roadway, and gave my husband enough time to catch up and restrain him."
Once the dust settled and their heart rates returned to normal, Tim and Trish looked at one another, each knowing exactly what the other was thinking. This simply must not happen again, ever. They'd heard about service dogs for autistic kids but hadn't decided whether or not a dog would be the answer. Now they knew they had to give it a try. Things couldn't get worse.
About the Author
Roxanne Willems-Snopek lives and writes in Abbotsford, British Columbia, surrounded by her family and a variety of dogs, cats, birds, and fish. The human-animal bond is a recurring topic in her writing, which includes fiction and non-fiction.
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