The Dog I Didn't Want

Book excerpt: UNTIL ABBEE CAME INTO MY LIFE, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD LOVE OUR ANIMALS SO MUCH; THAT IN FACT, THEY BECOME PART OF OUR FAMILY. THE FIRST PART OF THIS BOOK IS DEVOTED TO RELIVING OUR FAMILY'S LIFE WITH ABBEE... AND HOW A DOG THAT I INITIALLY WANTED NO PART OF, SOON WORKED HER WAY INTO MY HEART AND BECAME FOR ME, AS THOUGH SHE WERE MY FOUR-LEGGED DAUGHTER. ABBEE'S DEATH BROUGHT US GREAT SORROW. IT ALSO REMINDED ME ABOUT A MOST PERPLEXING BIBLICAL QUESTION-SOMETHING WHICH PROVED TO BE EVEN MORE UNSETTLING THAN HER DEATH. ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN MY ATTEMPT TO FIND SOME MEASURE OF PEACE; THE SECOND PART OF THIS BOOK IS DEVOTED TO THE PRAYERFUL HOPING... THAT THROUGH GOD, THE DIVINE CREATOR OF ALL; THE ANIMALS WE'VE EACH LOVED DURING OUR EARTHLY LIFE; MAY BE GRANTED ENTRY, AND BE INCLUDED WITH US FOR ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN.