Two years ago, Denise Ballew met Bill and Pat, and their German shepherd, Charlie. Ballew, a lifelong dog lover, was touched when her new neighbors shared the story about how they had acquired their dog from a rescue group in California.
Ballew learned that Charlie had been with the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County for two years and was in a separate area from all the other dogs because he did not get along with them.
Bill and Pat were looking to fill a void in their life after the death of their dog, Storm Cloud. The couple wanted to rescue a dog so they visited the rescue organization and walked the aisles of dogs, looking for one that they might have a connection with.
Despite the eager, hopeful faces that peered back at them from the line of kennels, none seemed to be “the one.”
It was then that the woman showing Bill and Pat the dogs said, “What about Charlie?” The woman explained that Charlie was in a separate area because he did not get along with dogs. The couple was led to the building where Charlie was living; they found him in his kennel, looking sad.
But when he looked up into Bill and Pat’s eyes, there was a connection; the connection that the couple had been hoping for. When Charlie was taken from his kennel his tail began to wag and he jumped up to share a “slobbery lick” with his new friends.
Suffice it to say, Charlie went home with the couple and it was a match made in heaven.
Charlie joined Bill and Pat’s family in 2015 and since that time, he has been living his best life. Charlie enjoys daily walks with Bill and the neighbors all know him. Charlie gets to enjoy his own special “doggie” ice cream whenever his people get their own treats and he has thrived in his home.
It was this story that inspired Ballew to write her first-ever children’s book. She had wanted to write a book for some time, but she struggled to find the words. Until she met Bill, Pat, and Charlie.
Ballew tells Animal Victory:
Pat’s true story of finding Charlie, after two years living in a rescue situation, it touched my heart deeply. Then, as I watch the incredibly close
relationship that Bill and Char’ie have, it’s so heart warming. The trust, the affection, it’s like Charlie see’s into Bill’s soul. It is such a beautiful thing.
It’s a story that needed to be told.
The best part? People who have read the story have been inspired to rescue a dog – even a hard-to-place dog like Charlie.
You can find Ballew’s charming children’s book, What About Charlie, through many outlets, including Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.
