“As soon as I turn my back, he goes at the food, inhaling it in three gulps. Now I get it. He won't take it if I'm looking, as if he expects me to snatch it away from him. I can see my shrink nodding with a grim expression and declaring, 'Trust issues.' Guess this dog and I are well matched. We both have issues.”

Cooper Harrison begins to understand the feral dog he has been tracking. Obviously wounded and badly malnourished, the yellow canine has been avoiding all attempts of rescue, having good reason to fear humans no matter what shape or form they come in. But, as Animal Control Officer, Cooper recognizes the problem and continues his quest to earn the dog's trust long enough to get him to a vet so he can attend to his wounds.

THE DOG WHO SAVED ME is Susan Wilson's ninth novel and is sure to appeal to animal lovers and those who are animal neutral as well. It’s a multilayered story about dedication, disappointments, family conflicts, and many levels of resolution, redemption and even some romance. The reader is drawn into life in Harmony Farms, a small town somewhere north of Boston. It's a place where Cooper never expected to find himself again. Even though it’s his hometown and his father still lives there, his plans never included returning.

"...a multilayered story about dedication, disappointments, family conflicts, and many levels of resolution, redemption and even some romance."

However, after a work-related explosion kills his partner, Argos, Cooper leaves the Boston Police Department and dives into a bottle of bourbon. Nothing his wife says and no amount of bourbon can numb the pain he feels at the loss. After Gayle leaves him, he begins to rethink his situation, and when the chief of police from Harmony Farms offers him the job of Animal Control Officer, he reluctantly agrees.

Cooper has several reasons for not wanting to return to his hometown, not least of which is the fact that his father, Bull, has been derisively known as the town drunk and his brother, Jimmy, is the town delinquent who eventually ends up in prison. He simply does not want to become part of the small-town gossip again. Yet he needs to work, and he knows animals, so the yearlong job commitment does not seem unreasonable.

Susan Wilson has a disarming writing style that deftly brings her many familiar type characters to life. There's Polly Schaeffer, the crazy cat lady who not only rescues lost or abandoned felines but occasionally “rescues” some just because she wants to. Then there are the Bollens, who own a miniature donkey that keeps trotting away, looking for greener pastures, and the lovely Natalie Everett, a transplanted Wall Street trader who now rescues horses at Second Hope Ranch.

There are also some familiar bad guy types, like the drug dealers with whom Jimmy reconnects; the despicable Haynes brothers, who wound their own dog; and Polly's ornery son, who summarily gets rid of all her cats. Through all the interactions, Cooper begins to recover from the loss of his K-9 partner and allow parts of his heart to be touched by those around him.

All in all, THE DOG WHO SAVED ME is a satisfying read that ties up all the loose ends and provides a contented smile for everyone but the bad guys.