Once In A Lifetime Dog Book Review

A true and heartwarming tale for anyone who has ever loved - and lost - a dog, Chantelle Hildreth's memoir of her life with her Russian Wolfhound, Boris, is a universal love story and tribute to any pet who has been a companion, a best friend, a backbone and an inspiration to someone. Substantial proceeds from the sale of each book will be donated to help animals left homeless by the economic crisis.

Eastsound, WA - Dec 10, 2010 - Author Chantelle Hildreth announces the release of Once in a Lifetime Dog, My Borisangel.

Like many others, Chantelle Hildreth found her world collapsing when the US economy plunged. Laid off from her job as a professor of art history, Hildreth was at a crossroads. As a wife and mother, Hildreth struggled with the path to take. She rejected the familiarity of the teaching profession that she had known for more than a decade.

Instead, she chose a more daunting task. She followed a dream and in doing so, forever changed the lives of her family. Unemployed, Hildreth convinced her husband to leave his quarter of a million dollar a year job and the affluent, urban lifestyle they enjoyed in Los Angeles behind. She moved her family to a pristine, rural island off the coast of Washington State in the San Juan Islands archipelago and truly started over.

Today, instead of securing her children behind locked gates to play, nature is at their backdoor. And it all started when she found the courage to change her world, to transform from the shy woman she once was and embrace a whole new lifestyle. Born out of love, the love she had for, Boris, Borisangel, her Russian Wolfhound, Hildreth found the strength and inspiration to truly reinvent her life and the lives of her family. Hildreth is available to talk about the meaning of being a mother and a workingwoman and how following a dream and taking that risk can produce remarkable results.

Hildreth's new memoir is the story of an unconditional love and of the overwhelming heartache of loss, but it is also a tale of admiration for the uncanny ability of a special animal to teach an owner profound life lessons.

A massive, elegant white beast with more personality, grace and charm than most people, Boris was a rare being and steady companion. He was the river that flowed through many chapters of Chantelle's life: her study partner and confidence builder through law school, the inspiration for the purchase of her first home, a touchstone (and judge) for new relationships and an infallible source of comfort and strength throughout her pregnancy.

Once in a Lifetime Dog is the touching and humorous story about the deep connection between an extraordinary dog and his owner. Chantelle battles rats, adopts a fashion statement that incorporates dog hair and bases her life's decision making in devotion to her special dog. It is the story of how Boris stood by the one he loved so that in the end, when he left her, she would be able to stand alone.

It is a story that will rekindle both the joy and the heartache that any reader has experienced because of that one special pet they have had. Be prepared to laugh and cry.

As the author struggled to capture all the memories and qualities of Boris, she became more aware of the plight of millions of pets who have become homeless, abandoned or left in shelters as a result of these economic times. Chantelle now wishes to be a voice for these animals. She will donate a substantial portion of the proceeds from the sale of each copy of Once in a Lifetime Dog to benefit the animals.


About the book:
Once in a Lifetime Dog by Chantelle Hildreth
ISBN: 978-1-4327-55459-4
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Date of publish: Nov 30, 2010
Pages: 317
S.R.P.: $18.95

About the author:
Chantelle Hildreth lives in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington with her husband, their two children and three borzois: Chagall, Angelica and Searraes. The forested coastal beauty of the Pacific Northwest at her doorstep and her three dogs at her side provide Chantelle with the ideal backdrop and inspiration for her writing. Prior to becoming a writer, Chantelle was an attorney and a professor of art history at several California colleges.

I love my dog very much.

She isn't really a dog to us, but a daughter who is a tad bit furry!!

She is very pampered. She sleeps only on a pillow on top of the couch or bed.

She knows she is adorable and uses that to her advantage.

So when I said I would review this book, I knew I could relate.

Chantelle loved her dog, Boris, as much as I love Sammy.

Some of the things Chantelle did for Boris were a little bit more then I would have ever done (like having her Mom cook Boris special human meals) but I can really understand her love.

If you are a pet owner, who loves their pets as much as their kids, then you will love this heartfelt book.

I need to warn you that there are many very sad parts. So make sure you have tissues!!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.