Publisher's Synopsis
In this newly revised personal memoir about love, courage and healing, Deborah Dozier Potter shares her relationship with her Border Collie, Buster, from the day she met him at the animal shelter until the last moment of his life. But this isn't a typical pet love story. The author met Buster while in a state of cynicism and grief following the death of her father and her new pet helped to restore her faith in life. Buster then helped her cope with a high-powered marriage, intense stress and faltering self-esteem. When she suffered major trauma in a horse accident, Buster stayed by her side, his herding dog instincts protecting her vulnerable and broken body. A year after the accident she became too tense to be touched by others or leave her home, unaware that she had developed a severe case of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). She tells us how she discovered she had this disease and how Buster became her official service dog. She describes her struggle with PTSD symptoms, and what it was like to travel on airplanes and function in public with a disability. Buster, as a therapy dog, helped restore her mental health and self-assurance and lead her back into a normal life. This is their story. DEBORAH DOZIER POTTER was born into an entertainment A-list family. Her mother, Joan Fontaine, her aunt, Olivia de Havilland, and her stepmother, Ann Rutherford, were forties era movie stars. Her father, William Dozier, a popular film and television executive, produced and narrated TV's Batman series. Seeking a "regular" environment, Deborah settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she continued her international career as an actors' representative. She and her husband raised two sons, developed a politically charged real estate law firm, and have formed partnerships that own several businesses. Among her many volunteer positions, she has served as the founding organizer of Santa Fe's Plaza Community Stage, a member of the Kennedy Center's President's Advisory Council on the Arts, and as a trustee of a college, an orchestra and two museums. Her traumatic accident leading to PTSD, an often un-diagnosed disability, and a life-changing relationship with her Border Collie inspired her to write their story. www.deborahdpotter.com
