A DOG'S LIFE

A collection offers 23 obituaries of beloved dogs who have crossed the rainbow bridge.

When the grief-stricken Bogyo, a veteran Broadway and off-Broadway show manager, had to say a final goodbye to his treasured Scottish terrier, Bilbo, he channeled his sorrow into composing an adoring and humor-filled tribute to the indomitable pooch. “Laughter through tears,” he writes, “is a wonderful form of catharsis, a fine way to begin the healing process.” His friends, many in the entertainment industry, agreed, and they began sharing stories about their own departed canine companions, giving birth to this slim, charming volume. Bogyo begins each obituary with a traditional announcement of the dog’s death, followed by birth and lineage information and an affectionate summary of the canine’s life. Readers learn, for example, that the handsome and hearty spaniel/retriever Zorro was “the love child of a torrid misalliance between an impetuous springer spaniel and a dashing (but irresponsible) retriever.” Fortunately for Zorro, he was the runt of the litter, ignored by his “unstable” mother, who evidently dispatched a few of his siblings. Then there is the dignified and sweet husky mix Bandy Nauta, the offspring of another “deadbeat” father. Though totally devoted to her family, Bandy suffered from extreme anxiety. “When one of the sons once came home unexpectedly wearing a baseball cap,” Bogyo informs readers, “Bandy was so unnerved she ran into the garage and hid behind a refrigerator.” Large, small, purebred, or of questionable parentage, all of the dogs are celebrated with lovely portrait photographs and tender, full-throated appreciations of their unique abilities, foibles, and occasionally quirky personalities. Readers who have experienced the love and loss of their cherished furry companions will find themselves gently chuckling in recognition of the canine antics that add so much depth to chaotic interspecies relationships. Given that these are obits, there is an inevitable underlying poignancy to the profiles. But Bogyo is a gifted raconteur, and his imaginative, clever prose describing the lifestyles and idiosyncrasies of the dogs (and, implicitly, a few of their humans) cuts through the sadness to focus on lighter, entertaining remembrances.

An enjoyable and amusing compilation of canine tributes refreshingly filled with more smiles than tears.