A Letter to My Dog

THERE ARE PET owners. And then there
are those who have a best friend, confidant or
“child” who happens to walk on all fours. For
those in the second group, the book A Letter
to My Dog, a set of love letters from 57 pet
owners to their dogs, is proof that to be headover-
heels devoted to your pet is to be in
good company.

The missives are penned by celebrities,
including singer Tony Bennett, actor and
writer Tyler Perry and former basketball
coach Pat Summitt, along with everyday people
smitten with their dogs. The letters are
filled with words such as “hero,” “funny,” “loyalty”
and “unconditional.” Whether they’re
signed with a name, as a friend or in any variation
on the words for parent, each letter
shows the unwavering love these people have
for their dogs.

The idea came up over dinner with
friends Kimi Culp and Robin Layton and
publisher Geoff Blackwell. “I brought up the
idea of doing a dog book, one that, through
letters, would capture the unique and transformational
bond we share with our beloved
pets,” she says. The idea was to show pet owners
and non-pet owners the power of that
kind of unconditional love. “On the spot, a
collaboration was born.”

Erspamer began by launching a blog
where people could share their stories. Culp
went about looking for people to write letters,
which included launching a contest in
schools. Having worked on 20/20 and The
Oprah Winfrey Show, she also put her television
casting skills to work to round up people
willing to talk about their canine companions.
“I was blown away by how quickly celebrities
said yes and how excited they were,” says
Culp, who attributes the willingness to participate
to the fact that the book is “less about
them and more about celebrating their dogs.

Crisscrossing the country, Layton captured
moments of play, rest and, of course,
human adoration. The results are nothing shy
of aww-inspiring.

The celebration doesn’t stop with the
book. The website (www.alettertomydog.com)
offers expert pet advice, pointers to fun pet
products and the news (to this reporter’s
delight) that A Letter to My Cat is in the
works. The website also lets visitors upload
letters to and photos of their dogs.

-- Costco Connection, May 2013

[Touched by China looks like another interesting book]