When Dogs Heal

January 15, 2021
Learn how dogs were lifesaving companions to people living with HIV. This compilation of 36 personal essays features stories of the love, hope, and acceptance that HIV-positive individuals felt when a dog came into their lives. The interviewees are a diverse group in terms of age, gender identity, race, and life experiences, but their stories all have a similar thread wherein their lives were at a low ebb until they adopted a dog. The dogs provided a sense of purpose, a reason for living, and, in some cases, the motivation to improve the interviewee's situation. Each human subject and their canine companion are shown together in a full-page color photograph against a clean, white background followed by three pages of first-person text describing their stories. Queer, dog-loving photographer Freidin reflects in his introduction on the unconditional love he received from dogs, something that stood in contrast to negative judgment from humans, and his hope that these photo essays will overturn stigmatizing narratives about people living with HIV. Although the stories are uplifting and well written, the uniformity of the theme may become monotonous for readers who read it cover to cover, making it more suitable for dipping into and browsing by those seeking a compilation of true narratives that show the possibilities of life after an HIV diagnosis. Stories connecting a range of HIV-positive queer experiences with dog ownership. (resources) (Nonfiction. 15-adult)

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Starred review from March 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-This book shares portraits and personal experiences of people who are HIV-positive. Each color photo of the individual and their dog is accompanied by a brief section of text. The text spotlights compelling subjects such as Amador, a Latinx man who decided to keep living because his dog Bella needed him to care for her. Amador expresses that he wants to help people in the Latinx community who struggle with the lack of support and education concerning HIV. Lynnea, a Black woman who learned of her positive status at age seven, discovered how to expect more from her relationships and leave her abusive partner by becoming the owner of a dog named Coconut. The wide range of people and stories depict themes of loneliness, addiction, shame, and isolation; each entry shows how having an animal to care for teaches someone the fundamentals of self-care and self-respect. Back matter includes a list of resources but does not include a glossary. VERDICT A unique collection that is unflinchingly honest and infused with hope. These valuable lessons of empathy, self-care, and acceptance will inspire all readers and will be especially encouraging for young people who are living with HIV.-Aaren Tucker, Univ. of Illinois

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Starred review from February 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Love, connection, and survival provide the theme of this collection of 20 profiles of people who are HIV-positive or who have full-blown AIDS. Those profiled represent a cross section of society: they're straight, gay, cisgender, and transgender; white, Black, and brown. What they all have in common, though, is the dog or dogs in their lives that they credit with having saved them from despair and even death, all through the canines' unconditional love. Each profile, told in the subject's own voice, is accompanied by a full-page color photo of the subjects and their dogs by noted photographer Freidin. The profiles themselves are unsparingly candid and some are painful to read because of the suffering they reveal, but it is the dogs that, in every case, bring healing, hope, love, and light to each of these memorable lives. The profiles have been collected by Dr. Robert Garofalo, an adolescent-HIV specialist who, himself, is HIV-positive and has founded a nonprofit charity called Fred Says, which supports those affected by and living with AIDS. The charity is matched in importance by the significance of this excellent book, which deals affectingly with a subject that remains too absent in books for young readers. It deserves the widest possible readership.

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