From the time I was a child, I had a deep connection to animals. Over the years, I’ve found them to be my friends, confidants, counselors, and most of all, my family. Being an avid animal lover drew me to Melissa Joseph’s Moments With Baxter: Comfort and Love from the World’s Best Therapy Dog. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book once I saw Baxter’s sweet face staring at me from the cover. Before I knew it, I had finished the book, as well as half a box of tissues.

Each chapter deals with a different experience Baxter had while working as a therapy dog. The overall theme of this book is how animals can be comforters in our greatest time of need. We are introduced to dozens of people who benefited from the love that a little dog can give. The accounts are incredibly sad, as the reader can always feel death looming nearby, but they are also uplifting and inspiring in a way I did not expect.

Melissa Joseph is able to capture that unique connection that therapy dogs establish with their patients. Her writing is very simple, but eloquently so, in that she makes you feel the moments as if you were actually there. The book is accompanied with bright, colored photographs of Baxter with the people he helped. One of my favorites is of Baxter in his red wagon, next to a woman whose last wish was to see the latest Harry Potter movie with her furry friend in the theater.

The stories were all special in their own ways, but some left me feeling unsatisfied. Not at all because Melissa Joseph wasn’t doing her job; in fact, it’s the exact opposite. Her storytelling skills made me want to know more about these people. I’m aware this book is focused on Baxter and his encounters, but I couldn’t help but think about the lives these people had before fortune landed them in hospice. I found this particularly surprising because I’m not a big fan of biographies of any kind, but something about this book made me want to dive into these people’s histories.

This book is wonderful, to say the least. The stories are touching, the pictures are captivating, and all proceeds are donated to related charities. It doesn’t get much better than that. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially animal lovers and those dealing with death and dying. Trust me, once you stare into Baxter’s eyes, you won’t want to put the book down.