Ivan!: A Pound Dog's View on Life, Love, and Leashes [Hardcover]

A story of hope, love and purpose for anyone who has ever loved a rescue dog.

With wry wit, deep insight, and vivid anecdotes, Tim McHugh gives voice to the family pet and delves into the place where the canine and human hearts become one.

Ivan, a mixed-breed dog-philosopher with an extreme underbite and various other deformities, chronicles his life story with keen observations about his adopted family and the people he loves, covering the life events that touch us all. Throughout his life Ivan keeps plugging forward with optimism and faith, always striving to learn from his mistakes, believing that even as he is ultimately facing old age, disease, and death, life is all the more wonderful. To Ivan, love and relationships with people are what matters most, and that if a deformed pound dog like him can find love and acceptance, anyone can. His is a lively, humorous story of hope and perseverance.

Tim McHugh is an author, a professional musician, and a composer. He earned a BA in Creative Writing from Western Washington University and in 2004 he published his debut novel, The Poet Chronicles. He currently teaches high school English with at-risk youth in a rural alternative high school in northern Washington State where he resides with his family.

With wry wit, deep insight, and vivid anecdotes, McHugh gives voice to the family pet and delves into the place where the canine and human hearts become one. Ivan, a mixed-breed dog-philosopher with an extreme underbite and various other deformities, chronicles his life story with keen observations about his adopted family and the people he loves, covering the life events that touch everyone.

“Move over, Marley, there’s a new dog in town! Be prepared to take a breathtaking, emotional joyride . . . two paws up!”—Charlie Cantrell and Dr. Rachel Wagner, authors ofA Friend for Einstein, the Smallest Stallion

“Ivan is not your avel³$