Moments with Baxter

All over the world, the therapeutic value of dogs is gaining a higher profile. They are showing up in hospitals, nursing homes and mental health facilities, enhancing the lives of people with special needs. Baxter is a therapy dog with a strong, silent voice that knows no boundaries, yet reaches into the hearts and minds of the hospice patients he visits.  He is frequently referred to as an angel.

Moments with Baxter is an inspiring collection of true short stories taken from Baxter’s peaceful interludes with those who need him most.  Memories are elicited and distance gained from long-standing pain as this extraordinary dog reminds us of the incredible healing power of animals.  The patients touch and talk to Baxter, find joy in the love he so freely offers, and always recognize that he is opening a door for them.

Author Melissa Joseph describes these highly emotional encounters in simple, heartfelt language.

Baxter looks deeply into each person’s eye and creates a light in the room that I assume will glow long after we depart.

Joseph frequently touches on what we know to be the unexplainable:

We are evidently now farther away from Tom’s awareness. He has made some sort of mysterious transition and Baxter is now part of his inner circle.

The reader gains the insight that Baxter lives moment to moment, just like all animals. Death is simply part of their experience and they accept it. Baxter is able to convey that acceptance with a silent, loving spirit, so that peace replaces the fear and despair with which some hospice patients are grappling. Through his devotion to his calling, Baxter lifts the pall that some of us associate with the transition from one world into the next.

Included in the last part of the book is a chapter covering what a reader needs to know if they think their own pet would make a good therapy dog. This is a useful section detailing important features of a therapy dog and his or her owner as well as certification requirements and benefits of the experience.

The patch on Baxter’s therapy jacket says “Paws Awhile for Love”. Readers of this unusual book will find themselves doing just that.

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.

Moments with Baxter, by Melissa Joseph, is the inspirational story of a unique therapy dog that not only helps ease the suffering of those who are dying of terminal illness, but also helps their families to cope with their grief. The story begins by describing how Baxter became a therapy dog during what most would consider to be the last stage of his life. We then follow Baxter from room to room as he visits those who are dying and get to witness the power unconditional love has in easing the suffering of those in pain.

Often called an angel by those he interacts with, Baxter seems to know what each person he encounters needs the most. Whether it’s licking the patients hand or just lying with someone while putting his head on their chest, Baxter has a natural instinct when it comes to his work that makes him one of the most amazing animals I have ever read about.

This book really made me think about life and how I view death. I fully believe no one should die alone and that is the crux of the hospice system. Patients are made as comfortable as possible and family is given the freedom to grieve, it’s a dignified death and the addition of therapy animals to this process seems to make it just a little easier for everyone involved. That is Baxter’s job, to ease the pain and suffering of those going through the unimaginable.

Melissa Joseph has done a remarkable job of putting together the stories of those Baxter comes in contact with and the addition of color photos of Baxter at work really compliments her compassionate words. This combination really shows the affect Baxter has on people and gives the reader some insight into the relationship between animals and people that they may not be aware of.

I highly recommend Moments with Baxter to animal lovers, healthcare workers, and anyone dealing with a terminal illness in some way but make sure you have some tissues handy because you are definitely going to need them.