Once upon a time there was...Willoughby A tiny, little black puppy who fulfilled his dream to become a therapy dog and make people happy!

This story follows the life of Willoughby, a labradoodle puppy, on his journey to becoming an amazing and loyal pet and fulfilling his dream to become a registered Therapy Dog. It follows the path he took from the day he went home to live with his forever mom who loved him so much. Together they went to play groups and spent fun days at the beach, making friends at the dog park and romping in the snow. They attended classes and took courses to learn basic dog skills. They also learned many specialized skills needed to become a Therapy Dog. Once Willoughby and his mom passed the test and became a registered Therapy Dog Team the story continues to all the places that they go to share Willoughby's love: the Veterans Home, the local hospital and a local elementary school where students read books to him. His life is very fulfilling and Willoughby just loves making people happy...which makes him happy too!

Jane Regan, the author, was born in England and moved to the US with her family when she was 10 years old, becoming a US citizen in high school. She has always loved animals and has thoroughly enjoyed being the guardian of many dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters (etc.) during her life. Jane and her late husband are the proud parents of a wonderful and accomplished adult son. His equally accomplished wife is a veterinarian. Animal lovers both, they currently have a horse, a cat and a bird.

Jane spent 33 years as a teacher of French and English Language Arts in middle school and as a Vice-Principal and Principal at the same school. She then spent 11 years teaching computer literacy in senior housing before retiring. She loves people and animals so being part of a Therapy Team seemed like a perfect retirement "occupation". It is actually not a job at all for either her or Willoughby. The joy they get from making people happy is the greatest reward ever.
Natalia Alvarez Garcia, the illustrator, is Jane's first cousin once removed. They first "met" on a fortuitous Skype call during Covid and Natalia really impressed her new-found relative with her amazing ability to artistically capture animals and nature. She had studied art and sculpture in Barcelona, Spain, Bergen, Norway and Falmouth, UK. Mainly a stone carver and illustrator, her current interests are as a maker of all sorts, fixing and recycling. For the past 24 years she has been living with her family on a boat, where she carries on trying, through her work, to share her love for nature. Isabel and Natalia have been friends since their years in college, both studying Fine Ars in Barcelona. They have worked together on different creative projects over the years. This book was a great opportunity for both of them to enjoy working together again.