Wally's World: Life with Wally the Wonder Dog

It takes about sixty-three days to make a litter of puppies, but sixty-three years later the people who loved those puppies remember the dogs they became.

When a puppy that fit into a baseball cap entered bestselling author and shepherd Marsha Boulton’s life, she had no idea he was really a rambunctious kid in a dog suit. Wally (named after the poet Wallace Stevens) became more of an experience than a dog from the moment he arrived at Lambs’ Quarters Farm. The spoiled, personality-loaded, soccer-playing pup quickly developed a penchant for high-thread-count linens, organic beef, and gourmet cooking. Life was good.

Then all hell broke loose. An intense legal battle engulfed Marsha’s partner, Stephen, and plunged the couple into a decade-long struggle. During that time, Marsha was also diagnosed with cancer. With his indomitable spirit and wild enthusiasm, Wally’s unrelenting appetite for life renewed the couple’s strength and gave them the perspective they needed to persevere. Whether playing class clown at puppy school or looking up the skirts of judges at dog shows, Wally the Wonder Dog ensured that serious laughter was a daily routine. Wally’s World is a raucous memoir, a roller-coaster ride with an irrepressible partner in paws who is impossible to forget.

Praise for Wally’s World

“This is an early memoir for someone of Boulton’s age, but her experiences and the insight she seems to have been born with make it a valuable and entertaining read, whether you are a big fan of dogs or not.” —The Chronicle Journal (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada)

“Wally’s World is a gripping memoir that moves gracefully between humorous stories about Wally, the beloved dog-cum-child, and Boulton’s narrative of her partner’s tribulations. . . . Immensely readable . . . told in an engaging, original manner.” —The Globe and Mail (Canada)

“A must for dog lovers. . . . Wally is a delight. . . . Funny, warm, and moving.” —Toronto Sun