LOYAL: 8 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and Devotion of Dogs

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2017) - Dog lovers know that our canine friends bring out our best selves. In LOYAL: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and Devotion of Dogs (National Geographic Books; ISBN: 978-1-4262-1773-9; On-sale March 7, 2017; Hardcover; $14.95), author, journalist and dog advocate Rebecca Ascher-Walsh has collected heart-warming stories paired with adorable photographs of four-legged heroes who have worked side by side with soldiers, searched the wreckage of natural and man-made disasters, changed families' lives through emotional support, and administered aid around the world and at home in the United States.

Rebecca Ascher-Walsh has been a dog-lover since childhood with a furry friend always by her side. Now, she runs the nonprofit Deja Foundation, which offers veterinary and training assistance to dogs rescued from euthanasia in high-kill shelters. Her passion for canines inspired her to write the acclaimed Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life with Dogs, an inspiring mosaic of stories that dramatically illustrates the many ways a dog can positively impact our lives. In her follow-up book, LOYAL, she gives readers a glimpse into the lives of 38 caring canines and the work they do to help the people they love:

Bandit, a European Great Dane, works at a USO in Missouri to help injured soldiers and their families find comfort. Bandit was born with severe leg deformities and his own physical challenges bring an added dimension and understanding to his relationship with military patients. Bandit's travels have taken him across the country to work with veterans. He has visited Arlington National Cemetery and numerous military hospitals

Wyatt, a Rhodesian Ridgeback from New Jersey, possesses an incredible life-saving skill: he is able to detect cancer with his nose. He travels the country helping to detect cancer in firemen.

Judge, a Czech shepherd, dedicated his life to protecting the town of West Deptfod, New Jersey with his owner and partner on the police force, Sergeant Michael Franks. In Judge's seven-year career, he apprehended 152 suspects, recovered three stolen vehicles, three firearms and $47,000 in drug money. After his retirement, Judge was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. In their final walk to the vet, Judge was honored by 100 saluting police officers.

Drago, a Spinone Italiano from Connecticut, used his shaggy coat and gentle nature to help school children in the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

Eudy and Tula, Maremma sheepdogs, protect the dwindling population of little penguins in Victoria, Australia. Eudy & Tula took over the guard from Oddball, the inspiration for a 2015 film titled Oddball', to protect the penguins from fox and hawks.

About the Author:

Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, a journalist who specializes in celebrity and lifestyle coverage, has a soft spot for four-legged stars. Ascher-Walsh is the author of Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life with Dogs. In addition to sharing the stories of amazing animals and volunteering at a high-kill shelter in Manhattan, Ascher-Walsh is a founding director of the Deja Foundation, an organization devoted to raising funds for the care of rescue dogs.

About National Geographic Partners LLC:

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

LINK:	http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/03/loyal-38-inspiring-tale...
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