About this item

Encounters with Rikki tells the true story of the incredible partnership between Chuck and Rikki, a very special rescue dog. Rikki first found her home with Chuck and Patty Mitchell in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Even though the golden retriever was a shy, shell-shocked puppy still adapting to the stress of displacement, Chuck recognized her innate abilities as a therapy dog. Together they bring healing and hope to recovering patients, accident victims, and the mentally ill. Soon Rikki's quiet confidence attracts the attention of advocates of child victims. Called upon to testify in court, child witnesses must recall horrific memories in the presence of their abusers; the tireless work of Chuck and Rikki allows these children to do so with a therapy dog by their side.



About the Author

Julie Strauss Bettinger

Julie Strauss Bettinger has been a literary journalist for more than 25 years. Her most recent book, "Encounters with Rikki: from Hurricane Katrina rescue to exceptional therapy dog," is a 2016 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award finalist. Julie's essay, "Grapes & Wrath at Mission San Luis," was recently published in Apalachee Review literary journal and she was also named a finalist for Proximity Magazine's Narrative Journalism Prize. Her submission will be included in an anthology coming out later this year. In 2015, Julie coauthored the award-winning "Blasted by Adversity: The Making of a Wounded Warrior." She earned both a bachelors and masters degree from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD. Find her at JulieBettinger.com.



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