Vernita Leins and her yellow lab Josie will present their jointly written story via Zoom for the Cushing Public Library on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. Josie is credited as co-author of Josie’s Story … from rescue to service dog, a handbook with advice to dog families and potential dog families. 

The talk is free and open to the public. To register, call Wendy Roberts at 207-691-0833 or email wrobertsmaine63@gmail.com. 

The pair were recently named finalists in the 2019 Next Generation Book Award in the Independent Book Publishing Professional Group’s Animal/Pets category for their second collaboration, Fostering Marcel…the bond between human and animal. Marcel is a handsome adopted tabby cat and good friend of Josie.

Leins will discuss her personal and authorial collaboration with Josie on their first book, training her to to be a service dog, as well as comments about Marcel’s story. Both works begin with Josie’s perspective and conclude with Leins’s insights into the importance and meaning of the human/animal relationship. 

The family, including Leins’s husband Robert, lives on Chemo Pond, in Bradley, where they enjoy play, walks in the woods, pond life and sofa hug time. She is a massage therapist and practices qigong.

Maine Authors Publishing, Thomaston, published the books, which are available locally or at the website www.vleins,com.

As requested by Josie, a portion of proceeds from each book is donated to shelters and rescue groups.