Trust the Dog : Rebuilding Lives Through Teamwork with Man's Best Friend

A groundbreaking look at the special bond between guide dogs and those who thrive with their help. From a pioneering guide dog organization comes the first book to explore one of the most profound and inspiring relationships between humans and animals. In Trust the Dog, the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation introduces readers to a group of extraordinary people who, thanks to their guide dogs, flourish in a world that assumes the ability to see. Among them are a brother and sister who lost their sight at a very young age and whose dogs essentially helped them grow up, a Serbian girl who fled civil war to find new hope in America, and a newly blind single father determined to keep his family together against all odds. Through their experiences we discover the astonishing team­work and devotion between people who are blind and their guide dogs, the intelligence and discipline that these animals unfailingly display, and the noble work of the nonprofit organization that for fifty years has been making it all possible. A heartwarming tribute to this unique relationship, Trust the Dog is sure to change how we think about man's best friend, and the possibilities of life without sight.

Since its origins breeding and donating service dogs in 1960, the Fidelco guide Dog Foundation has been promoting increased independence for people who are blind by providing them with the highest quality German shepherds possible. Placement, in-community training with the dogs, and ongoing follow-up services are all completely free of charge. Gerri Hirshey is a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, GQ, and many more.