OOGY; THE DOG ONLY A FAMILY COULD LOVE

OOGY:  THE DOG ONLY A FAMILY COULD LOVE by Larry Levin was read for the Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book jacket:

In 2002, Larry Levin and his twelve-year-old twin sons, Dan and Noah, brought their ailing cat into the neighborhood animal hospital to be put to sleep.  What began as one of their family's saddest days took a sharp turn for the better when the oddest-looking dog they'd ever seen bounded into the waiting room and into their arms.

Larry and the boys assumed that this white puppy had been in a fire - he was missing an ear and half his face was covered in scar tissue - but they were soon told a different story.  He had been near-fatally injured as part of a dog-fighting ring in the area, discovered by the police, and left at the after-hours service of the hospital.  When the hospital administrator found him in the morning, he was so bloodied and battered she knew he had a slim chance of survival.  But, determined to keep him alive, she convinced her veterinarian boss to perform a series of surgeries and readied him for adoption.

The Levins - Larry, his wife Jennifer, and their sons - accepted him as one of their own from the moment they met him.  As the rambunctious puppy matured into a loyal and protective member of the family (dubbed the "Third Twin"), he marked himself indelibly on their lives, healing long-held wounds and showing the twins, themselves adopted as infants, that unbreakable bonds can be formed in all kinds of families.

OOGY is about the power of redemption, and how animals and people can overcome the greatest of odds.  And Oogy is an incredibly special animal, whose sense of security and being loved has persevered despite his trials.  This one-in-a-million dog and his story will enter your heart and stay with you for a long time.

This book was sent to me by a friend and fellow dog lover, who thought I would enjoy reading it.  She was right.  Although Oogy's early life was so hard to read about, he was brought into this family and shown unconditional love which helped him heal and overcome his fears and pain.  And Oogy returned that love a hundred-fold.

Some people have criticized me for spending so much time and money on Maggie, on her special diet and medications and tests.  But she is a part of my family and there is nothing I wouldn't do for her.  She gives us such love and peace and joy and she depends on us for so much.  There is no way I wouldn't do everything for her.  The same way the Levin family did everything for Oogy.  I guess you need to be a pet owner to understand.