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Sometimes, the dog dies. That's the sad truth, in real life and in books. It's never easy to deal with, no matter what. But this lovely and beautifully-illustrated  new book, God Needed a Puppy , is one way to help bring comfort to kids (and adults) who have lost a pet.   Ernest and Petey check out the book under the lilac bush, where some of their friends lay to rest.   Today we welcome Emmy Award-winning journalist and author John Gray to talk about his book. ( PLUS we're giving away a copy of God Needed a Puppy at the end!)  The Writer's Dog : Welcome John, and thank you for joining us today. God Needed a Puppy is a children's book dealing with pet loss. What inspired you to write this book? John Gray : After the death of my 6-month-old puppy I couldn't shake the grief and anger. He was so young, it just didn't seem fair. I thought to myself, this must be how kids feel when they lose a pet. So that's why I wrote it. To help myself and children. Auth...

I was leafing through the local Advertiser newspaper when I saw this notice. The event was one I knew well, but there was something else: This is an annual event held at Nassau Vet--a night to remember the pets lost that year. I'd been to this event before, sadly, a few too many times. But what caught my eye was the dog in the picture. Our Brooks. Our first senior rescue, the one who started us on the journey of adopting senior goldens, and changed our life. The angel ornament pictured was our ornament we'd hung on the tree five years ago to remember him. Seeing his angel wings again was like a gift from heaven. And now it was time to make another ornament--two more, in fact. We'd lost our senior golden Ike this past March, and then our 16 year old spaniel Kelly 5 days later. We think of them every day, but most people know, the holidays are always especially emotional. Having a special night to remember and honor them at this time of year is comforting. We decorated our ne...

Recently I found myself thinking more about my dogs Ernest and Petey, and less about the ones I'd lost six months ago, and it shocked me. Maybe it's only natural to focus on the ones who are here day in and day out. Maybe it's because Ernest has cancer and we spend a great deal of time making sure we're caring for his health and comfort. Or because Petey is a puppy and so very consuming of time and energy. Maybe it's just the way it should be. But it feels wrong. Especially with Kelly. I don't feel this same melancholy about Ike, the 10-year old golden retriever we lost in March. Ike is still with me in many ways. I think of Ike every time I look at Ernest and Petey, and feel a deep appreciation for this wonderful breed. Ever since Brooks, the dog we adopted when he was 11-years-old, we fell in love with golden retrievers. Especially the seniors. Maybe it's still having golden retrievers that helps me keep Ike's spirit alive. But Kelly. Sometimes Kelly f...