by June Cotner
Noëldechen, Joan, 42
Oleskewicz, Cari, 90
Opyr, Linda, 32
Osborne, Rosanne, 12
Paramore, Leslie, 47
Plucker, Kathleen Whitman, 52, 64
Pope, Alexander, 66
Porter, Karen R., 16, 54
Quigley, Mary Lenore, 46, 128
Robinson, Kate, 84, 118
Rogers, Will, 99
Ruesch, Millie, 36
Sabin, Louis, 112
Schmitz, Barbara, 107
Schnellman, Janet, 113
Schulz, Charles M., 28
Scott, Joanna Catherine, 129
Scott, Sir Walter, 112
Shullenberger, William, 72
Siegel, Bernie, 108, 131
Siegel, Joan I., 24
Soli, Sandra, 119
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 99
Tana, Patti, 21
Timpf, Lisa, 19, 77
Vera, Dan, 106
Wahlert, Donna, 94, 109
Wall, Nancy B., 78
Walpole, Horace, 66
Webster, Louise, 30
Williams, Ben, 28
Willis, Paul, 31, 71
Wilson, Teri, 102
Zimmerman, Lisa, 93
Permissions and Acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the authors and publishers for the use of the following material. Every effort has been made to contact original sources. If notified, the publishers will be pleased to rectify an omission in future editions. Please visit the authors’ websites to view and purchase their books.
Joan Marie Arbogast for “Puppy Dog Welcome.”
www.joanmariearbogast.com
Ellen Bass for “3 A.M. Feeding” and “Lost Dog.” “Lost Dog” is from The Human Line. Copyright © 2007 by Ellen Bass. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc., on behalf of Copper Canyon Press,
www.coppercanyonpress.org, www.ellenbass.com
Ann Reisfeld Boutté for “Our Old Dog.”
Brennan Boyle for “Prayer for My Best Friend.”
Susanne Wiggins Bunch for “Our Dog” and “Queen of Canine Capers.”
Paulette Callen for “The Blessing.” www.paulettecallen.com
Kelly Cherry for “Mother of Dog.”
Sally Clark for “New Tricks.” www.sallyclark.info
SuzAnne C. Cole for “Outside, Wanting In.”
Ginny Lowe Connors for “Unleashed.”
www.ginnyloweconnors.com
Barbara Crooker for “Retriever” from Barbara Crooker: Selected Poems by Barbara Crooker. Copyright © 2015. Published by FutureCycle Press. Reprinted with permission of Barbara Crooker. www.barbaracrooker.com
Jill Frances Davis for “The Cats and My Dog.” This selection was previously published as “Mother’s Helper” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, My Very Bad Cat: 101 Heartwarming Stories about Our Happy, Heroic & Hilarious Pets compiled by Amy Newmark. Copyright © 2016, Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC. Reprinted with permission of Jill Frances Davis.
Lisa Dordal for “Guide Dog” and “Sweeter Than Honey.”
www.lisadordal.com
Kate Dwyer for “Dog Training” and “Dog Walk.”
www.bellatoccatags.com
Joanne Esser for “Dog Running with His Man.”
Janice A. Farringer for “Comfort Zone.”
www.amidlifebooksandpoetry.com
Reverend Roberta Finkelstein for “Lessons Learned Post 9/11” from Blessing the Animals, edited by Lynn L. Caruso. Copyright © 2006, Skylight Paths. Reprinted with permission of Reverend Roberta Finkelstein.
CB Follett for “At Limantour Beach” and “Off the Trail.” “At Limantour Beach” was first published in Estero. “Off the Trail” is from At the Turning of the Light by CB Follett. Copyright © 2001. Published by Salmon River Press. Reprinted with permission of CB Follett.
Cleveland W. Gibson for “Dear Companion.”
Taylor Graham for “Hiking Old Dog to the Alpine Lake.” First appeared in Embers (1991). www.somersetsunset.net
Rusty Hancock for “Voices from the Shelter.”
C. David Hay for “Best Friends,” “Old Friends,” and “Pet Heaven.”
Joanne Hirase-Stacey for “Lessons.”
Christine Otto Hirshland for “Homecoming.”
Meridian Johnson for “Skijoring with Kane.”
Susan Koefod for “He Knew.” www.susankoefod.com
Judy Kolosso for “Summerhill, August 1, 2003.” First published in Stone Kettle Poets.
Arlene Gay Levine for “A Dog’s Life” and “Higher Power.” www.arlenegaylevine.com
Sonya R. Liehr for “Rescue Dog.”
Milissa Link for “A Blessing,” excerpted from Dog Ma.
Janet Lombard for “Furry Shrink.”
Donna J. Maebori for “My Elderly Dog.”
Arlene L. Mandell for “His Final Season.”
Peter Markus for “My Daughter’s First Word.”
Lynn Martin for “Living with Animals.”
Anne McCrady for “Ceremony at Dawn.” First appeared in Encore 2004, the annual collection of prize winners of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, NFSPS, Inc. (2004). www.inspiritry.com
Nancy A. Messinger for “Dog Days.”
Reverend Phyllis Ann Min for “Dog Blessing.”
www.phylliswithjoy.com
Reverend Gloria S. Moncrief for “Dog Memorial” from Blessing the Animals, edited by Lynn L. Caruso. Copyright © 2006, Skylight Paths. Reprinted with permission of Reverend Gloria S. Moncrief.
Laura E. Moore for “A Dog’s Parting Prayer.”
Eric Nelson for “Good Dog.” www.ericnelsonpoet.com
Joan Noëldechen for “The Greeting.”
Cari Oleskewicz for “Elliott and Amelia.”
Linda Opyr for “His.” www.lindaopyr.com
Rosanne Osborne for “When Dogs Go Astray.”
Leslie Paramore for “Ever Faithful, Ever Friends.”
Kathleen Whitman Plucker for “A Note for My First” and “A Prayer for Dogs Who Serve.”
Mary Lenore Quigley for “I Depend on You” and “Perspective.” www.q2ink.com
Kate Robinson for “Doggy Prayer” and “A Goodbye Prayer.”
Barbara Schmitz for “Blizzard.”
Joanna Catherine Scott for “I Have Brought My Dogs to the Woods.” www.joannacatherinescott.com
William Shullenberger for “Besty.”
Bernie Siegel for “Dogs as Spiritual Messengers” and “Lessons from Dogs” from The Lazy Dog’s Guide to Enlightenment, edited by Andrea Hurst and Beth Wilson. Copyright © 2007 by Andrea Hurst and Beth Wilson, published by New World Library. Reprinted with permission of Bernie Siegel. Dr. Siegel is also the author of Love, Medicine & Miracles (1998, HarperPerennial) and Love, Animals & Miracles (2015, New World Library), plus many other books. www.berniesiegelmd.com
Sandra Soli for “Dog Owner’s Prayer.”
Patti Tana for “The Science of Faith.” www.pattitana.com
Lisa Timpf for “To Let You Go Gently” and “When Opportunity Knocks.”
Dan Vera for “The Nature of His Knowing.” www.danvera.com
Donna Wahlert for “Caring for a Sick Dog” and “The Last Time.”
Nancy B. Wall for “Old Dog.” Previously published in Dog Music: Poetry about Dogs, edited by Joseph Duemer and Jim Simmerman (New York: St. Martin’s, 1997). “Old Dog” copyright © 1994 by Nancy B. Wall. Reprinted with permission of Nancy B. Wall.
Louise Webster for “Puppy Days.”
Ann Whitfield for “Love at First Sight” by Millie Ruesch.
Paul Willis for “Higher Learning” and “Restricted Travel.” www.pauljwillis.com
&
nbsp; Teri Wilson for “Poem for a Lost Dog.” www.teriwilson.net
Lisa Zimmerman for “If This Were Egypt.”
www.lisazimmermanpoet.com
About the Author
June Cotner is the author or editor of thirty-five books, including the best-selling Graces, Bedside Prayers, and House Blessings. Her books altogether have sold more than one million copies and have been featured in many national publications including USA Today, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman’s Day, and Family Circle. June has appeared on national television and radio programs. June’s latest love and avocation is giving presentations on “Adopting Prisoner-Trained Shelter Dogs.” In 2011, she adopted Indy, a chocolate Lab/Doberman mix (a LabraDobie!), from the Freedom Tails program at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington. June works with Indy daily to build on the wonderful obedience skills he mastered in the program. She and Indy have appeared on the television shows AM Northwest (Portland, OR) and New Day Northwest (Seattle).
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, June is the mother of two grown children and lives in Poulsbo, Washington, with her husband. Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, and playing with her two grandchildren.
For more information, please visit June’s website at www.junecotner.com.
