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Children's book helps readers grieve loss of pet

HT photo by TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE

Local author and illustrator Dara Boland-Bonomo has published a children's book titled "Woody's Garden" that helps children and adults cope with the death of a pet.

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By TIMOTHY P. HOWSARE

Hernando Today

Published: October 24, 2009

WEEKI WACHEE - Where do pets go when they die? Will I meet my pet again in heaven? Children, as well as adults, often ask these questions.

"Woody's Garden," a children's book published by local author and illustrator Dara Boland-Bonomo, was written to help grieving pet owners of all ages go through the terrible time of losing that special friend.

The book's main character, an unnamed little girl, is sad because her dog and best friend, Woody, is gone.

To help her through her grief, the little girl and her family plant a flower garden with a sign over it that says "Woody's Garden."

In the middle of the garden is Woody's food dish with bird seed scattered around it.

Every day the little girl visits Woody's Garden. Although she misses her friend, she sees the happiness the garden brings to the birds and butterflies and thinks that Dog Heaven must not be far away.

"Every time the breeze blows, I imagine Woody wagging a mighty tail …" the little girl thinks to herself as she visits the garden.

Every page of the book is graced with Boland-Bonomo's charming color-pencil drawings, and in the back are brief instructions on how to care for your pet garden.

Boland-Bonomo, a Weeki Wachee resident originally from Long Island, N.Y., said the death of her own dog, Woody, inspired her to write the book.

A small mixed-breed, Woody died at age 14 in 2003. She now has a toy poodle named Teddy.

Boland-Bonomo said she and her husband David were especially close to Woody because they got him shortly after they were married and have no children.

Woody was like a son to the couple, she said. Though they realized Woody's life would be short compared to theirs, his death was nonetheless a traumatic experience.

"We had all the warning signs, he had heart attacks, but seeing your 14-year-old dog die was just a terrible experience," she said.

She also remembers Woody's death as a sad day for her veterinarian, who had to put him to sleep.

"The look on his face was so helpless," she said.

She hopes local veterinarians will stock copies of her book, which retails for $12.99, to sell to their pet owners. Discounts are available to buy the books in quantity, she said.

Boland-Bonomo's current veterinarian, Dr. Don Cooper of the Animal Care Center of Weeki Wachee, said he thinks planting a garden in memory of a pet is a good way for families to deal with their loss.

"This book would definitely be helpful, especially for small children," he said.

Boland-Bonomo is the author of two self-help books, "How to Sleep Like a Bear" and "How to Eat Like a Tree." The first is intended for people who have trouble sleeping and the second is about healthy eating.

Her nutrition articles and artwork have been published in Your Health, Total Health, FIT, The Raleigh News and Observer, The Phoenix and Herb Quarterly, according to a press release. A pen and ink and color-pencil artist, Boland-Bonomo also illustrates greeting cards.

Copies of "Woody's Garden" can be ordered online at www.xlibris.com/WoodysGarden.html. The book should be available on amazon.com by the end of the month, she added.

You also can order the book by contacting Boland-Bonomo directly at 352-596-3232 or daraboland@bellsouth.net.

She said anyone who purchases "Woody's Garden" can receive a $10 voucher toward a pet portrait she will draw from a photo.

Community news editor Timothy P. Howsare can be reached at 352-544-5284 or thowsare@hernandotoday.com.

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