Episode 107. Who Rescued Who? with Christopher Dale, Author of “We Saved Each Other”

Has your dog ever helped you through a hard time in life?  Your answer to this is most likely, a resounding YES, right?

Author Christopher Dale credits Vector, his rescued “sato” dog from Puerto Rico, with helping him start a new chapter in life after going through hard times.  Like really hard times.  Like life-changing medical diagnosis turned depression turned addiction turned nearly blowing up his marriage-type hard times.

Chris became curious if other people were having a life-changingly special relationship with their rescue dog too.  In his book “We Saved Each Other: How Rescue Dogs Help Us Through Hardship,” Chris mixes in his own memoir reflections with profiles of other rescue dog adopters to explore experiences such as trauma, grief, addiction and mental health challenges and examine the role of their dogs in their journey. (Trigger warning for ongoing discussion of these themes throughout the episode.)

"Courageous Vulnerability" is the phrase I kept thinking while reading "We Saved Each Other".  I admire Chris and all those who share their stories for the vulnerability it takes to share some of the messier parts of life.  And I thank Chris for holding space for me to share a part of my life that I don’t usually talk about, as well.

Chris also shares with us what he’s learned about the condition of sato dogs in Puerto Rico, the work of The Sato Project nonprofit organization and what he knows about Vector’s early life.

My hope is for this episode to be a reminder that despite our differences, we’re all going through the same types of challenges in this human experience.

Chris & I discuss:

  • His background and why animals weren’t a part of his early life story;

  • The life-changing medical diagnosis that was a catalyst for further challenges in Chris’s life;

  • The Sato Project and what Chris has learned about street dogs in Puerto Rico;

  • Where Chris was in his life when adopting Vector;

  • Chris’s visual handicap;

  • What Chris knows about Vector’s early life;

  • Vector’s physical and behavioral challenges;

  • Lessons learned from our dogs;

  • Why dogs are beneficial for our mental health;

  • How Chris connected with the people he interviewed for the book;

  • The story that surprised both Chris and I the most in his book;

  • Anticipatory grief with our senior dogs;

  • The unexpected social commentary conversation that we’re all having in our homes

Where to Find Chris’s Book:

Links Discussed:

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