If I had to sum up “Amazing Gracie” with just one word it would be ‘Amazing’. I was drawn to the book by a cute puppy on the cover. I expected it to be a story about a special dog who touched someone’s life in a special way, but it was much more than that. I also didn’t know this dog was famous. She is known nationally but her home was in the Kansas City area – close to where I live. I have even been to the store named her honor, never knowing the legacy which lay behind it.
Gracie was a Great Dane, born deaf and partially blind. She would have been put to sleep by the backyard breeder if Anne hadn’t introduced her to her friend Dan Dye. Gracie filled a hole in Dan’s heart, but in the long run she did so much more than that.
In chapter 3 we hear a hilarious story about how Gracie got her name (police were involved). In chapter 6 we read about how Gracie was not so well received by Dottie and Sarah, two other dogs in the household. But not to worry, that was only at first when Gracie was a puppy. The relationship between the three sisters grew. In chapter 8 we learn that it was Gracie’s sensitive stomach which ultimately inspired a chain of stores which sell the bested darned dog treats around. This chain of stores is where Gracie’s fame is founded.
You see, when Dan learned that Gracie had a sensitive stomach he learned to cook for her. He used natural and healthy ingredients with none of the preservatives or fillers which most dog foods today use. From there, Dan and his good friend Mark began a small business of selling this food in the form of dog treats. It was a home-based business at first, but it grew over time. Eventually they had to get a store front and the Three Dog Bakery was born (named from Dottie, Sarah, and Gracie). But the growth didn’t stop there. The Three Dog Bakery is now a chain. Dan, Mark, and the girls have even been on Oprah! You can’t get more famous than that. And to think that it all started with a deaf dog with a sensitive stomach who would have otherwise been put to sleep for her supposed imperfections.
Almost as amazing as Gracie’s story is Dan and Mark’s writing style. “Amazing Gracie” is funny, heartwarming, and personable. If I had had the time, I would have read it in a day. But as it is, I have a full time job and part time job so it took me three nights instead. I read it in a short amount of time but Gracie’s story will stay with me forever.
You can purchase “Amazing Gracie” for yourself at the Dog Lover’s Bookstore which is affiliated with Amazon.com. After you read “Amazing Gracie” by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff, visit the Three Dog Bakery nearest you.
American Dog Blog 