"The Dogs of Proud Spirit"/Melanie Sue Bowles/Author/Proud Spirit Books

The Dogs of Proud Spirit is a testament to the undeniable truth that animals enrich our lives. They give us - and teach us to give - boundless joy and unconditional love.

What does an unlikely pack of stray and homeless dogs have in common with a certain herd of downtrodden horses? They were all lucky enough to wind up in the loving arms of Melanie Sue Bowles and her husband Jim, founders of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary. Author Melanie Sue Bowles introduced readers to this extraordinary place of healing in her debut book, The Horses of Proud Spirit,

and in the inspiring sequel, Hoof Prints: More Stories from proud Spirit. Now Melanie graces readers once again with unforgettable true stories, this time about the numerous dogs who have found their way to the Bowles's gate and into their hearts.

When Melanie and Jim were newlyweds, they would have described themselves as "cat people." But then a stray brindle-colored hound came loping into their lives. Upon seeing the open door of their home, the stinky, tick-infested dog made a beeline for the love seat and plopped down like she owned the place. They decided the dog should stay (once she'd had a bath). They named her Molly and thus the tide began to turn from "cat people" to "dog people."

The wave of dogs in need of a home continued to flow. Next came Gunner, then Dusty - two Corgi mixes who were languishing in shelters in different parts of the country. One looked at Melanie like he wanted to ask her to marry him and the other had "issues" with trust. You'll also meet an entire pack of purebred Corgies who wiggled their way into the growing family of canines, not because they were purebreds but because they needed a home. And then came a stream of strays who had been cruelly dumped on one desolate country road or another, some tiny puppies and some full grown, but all longing for the same thing: a full belly, a warm bed and a family to love them. It turned out that one of these strays didn't need Melanie and Jim as much as they needed him. An odd-looking mix they named Hank danced in at just the right time, bringing laughter back into their lives.

And just for good measure, you'll meet a bunch of house cats, a talkative barn cat and two very smart but very stubborn pigs named Sally and Harley.