a dog's journey part 3

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A Dog's Journey

2019, Kids & family/Comedy, 1h 48m

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A Dog's Journey is as sentimental as one might expect, but even cynical viewers may find their ability to resist shedding a tear stretched to the puppermost limit. Read critic reviews

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Bailey is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his boy, Ethan and Ethan's wife Hannah. He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah's baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ's mom, Gloria, decides to take CJ away. As Bailey's soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. Thus begins Bailey's adventure through many lives filled with love, friendship, and devotion.

Rating: PG (Some Peril|Rude Humor|Thematic Content)

Genre: Kids & family, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Gail Mancuso

Producer: Gavin Polone

Writer: W. Bruce Cameron , Cathryn Michon , Maya Forbes , Wallace Wolodarsky

Release Date (Theaters): May 17, 2019  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2019

Box Office (Gross USA): $22.5M

Runtime: 1h 48m

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Production Co: Pariah, Walden Media, Alibaba Pictures Group

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Bailey Voice

Kathryn Prescott

Betty Gilpin

Dennis Quaid

Marg Helgenberger

Abby Ryder Fortson

Young Trent

Conrad Coates

Jake Manley

Daniela Barbosa

Kevin Claydon

Johnny Galecki

Gail Mancuso

W. Bruce Cameron

Screenwriter

Cathryn Michon

Maya Forbes

Wallace Wolodarsky

Gavin Polone

Seth William Meier

Executive Producer

Lasse Hallström

Rogier Stoffers

Cinematographer

Robert Komatsu

Film Editing

Original Music

Eric Fraser

Production Design

Patti Henderson

Costume Design

John Papsidera

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Is “A Dog’s Journey” one of the sweetest canine films out there, or one of the meanest? While I generally favor the latter reading, the gentle sniffling mixed with occasional awws and chuckles that broke out during my screening suggests the majority of the audiences will understandably lean otherwise, as they did with the film’s 2017 predecessor, “A Dog’s Purpose.” In theory, this unconditional affection seems mighty unjust for a shameless family franchise that kills an average of four to five dogs per movie, sometimes, in unspeakably wretched fashions—seriously, where is John Wick when you need him? And yet, as visually uninspired and ideologically conservative as it may be, there seems to be something beguiling about the series that keeps one (including myself, admittedly) on a short leash. Turns out, very few are immune to the sneaky suggestion that certain dogs and humans are meant for each other for life.   

This is indeed the philosophy behind TV veteran Gail Mancuso ’s “A Dog’s Journey,” which follows in the paw prints of its Lasse Hallström-directed ancestor with its assembly line of doggie fatalities. (Every dog-loving cinephile’s most cherished website “DoesTheDogDie.com” must be having a field trip with these films.) And before you cry out “spoiler alert,” know that spelling out the mounting corpses of our four-legged furry pals in these tearjerkers is not exactly a wrongdoing. Adapted from W. Bruce Cameron’s best-selling novels, the pair of syrupy films follows a Buddhist philosophy, imagining a world in which a dog’s spirit reincarnates in the body of a new adorable puppy (somehow, voiced by Josh Gad even when it’s a female) and pursues its original human to eternity.

“Journey” picks up where “Purpose” had left off, dropping us on a tranquil Midwestern farm ran by the impossibly wholesome couple Ethan ( Dennis Quaid ) and his wife Hannah ( Marg Helgenberger ). Their carefree “Boss Dog” Bailey, a handsome Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog, runs around the picturesque fields and happily chases his own tail, while keeping a watchful eye on Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter CJ (affably played by Abby Ryder and Kathryn Presscott in later ages), parented by the couple’s heavy-drinking widowed daughter-in-law Gloria ( Betty Gilpin ). Bailey exits the picture soon enough—poor Boss Dog has a cancerous lump—but returns promptly in the body of Molly the mischievous Beagle, reuniting with the 11-year-old CJ to keep a promise he’s made to Ethan. Now living away from her grandparents with the negligent Gloria, CJ finds the kind of comfort and support every child needs in Molly.

Our determined pooch returns again and again as Bailey drops dead in a continuous loop: once, as the African Boerboel Big Dog living on a roadside convenience store (or, “a house made of snacks,” as he calls it), and then as the snippy Terrier Max. Meanwhile, CJ goes through her own transformation and finds herself in the unforgiving streets of New York City as a budding musician with a severe case of stage fright. A series of mean boyfriends—one, a dangerous stalker responsible for Molly’s horrific death—doesn’t help with her insecurity, until she stumbles upon her beloved childhood friend Trent ( Henry Lau ) and falls in love. (Guess what wet-nosed character masterminds the reunion with a paw shake and tail wag?)

Rest assured, there is sufficient amount of cuteness to go around in “Journey,” complete with dutiful canine humor around pooping, face licking, and the perpetual pursuit of food. But while the film engages with the sadness and despair of certain life crises head-on—an unexpected case of terminal illness is especially well-conceived in that regard—it strangely falls short of treating others with the empathy and seriousness they deserve. Written by Cameron, Maya Forbes , Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky , the story is outright hostile to Gloria, a paper-thin character whose mourning and alcoholism receives a cruel one-dimensional treatment. A gold-digging ex-girlfriend of Trent suffers in the hands of a similar caricaturized vision. And yet, no one comes to a film like this, where the world is divided into absolute goods and evils, for nuance or subtlety. If you can look behind the flat visuals and prescriptive pleasantries of “Journey,” you might just get on board with its compelling-enough tale of lost souls, found and lifted up by their forever-loyal pooches. On this earth and beyond.

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

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Film credits.

A Dog's Journey (2019)

Rated PG for thematic content, some peril and rude humor.

120 minutes

Dennis Quaid as Ethan

Betty Gilpin as Gloria

Josh Gad as Bailey (voice)

Abby Ryder Fortson as Young CJ

Marg Helgenberger as Hannah

Kathryn Prescott as CJ

Ian Chen as Young Trent

Daniela Barbosa as Liesl

Jake Manley as Shane

• Gail Mancuso

Writer (book)

• W. Bruce Cameron
• Maya Forbes
• Cathryn Michon
• Wallace Wolodarsky

Cinematographer

• Rogier Stoffers
• Robert Komatsu

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Movies | ‘a dog’s journey’ review: sequel has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Engaging critically with Dog Movies can be a challenge for a critic. Who wants to be the crank who scoffs that the heartwarming animal movie is just too contrived and sentimental? But it can be hard to avoid, with the sickly sweet pandering pabulum of recent films like “A Dog’s Purpose” and “Dog Days.” Fortunately, “A Dog’s Journey,” the second film adapted from W. Bruce Cameron’s novels, offers up an interesting, complex story into which we can sink our teeth. Directed by Emmy-winning TV director Gail Mancuso, written by “Purpose” vets Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon and Wallace Wolodarsky, “A Dog’s Journey” has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” are metaphysical and philosophical films that purport the theory that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owner’s lifetime, always trying to make it back home. It’s a fantastical idea, and all rather Buddhist for a film that traffics in heartland family values nostalgia cheerleading. But, it’s a fantasy dog lovers want to believe. Just look at Barbra Streisand, who has cloned her beloved dogs — wouldn’t it be nice to think all dogs don’t actually go to heaven, but get reincarnated into our next furry friends?

Bailey, the St. Bernard from “A Dog’s Purpose,” reappears as a kindly older dog in “Journey,” the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with Ethan and Hannah’s toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk), while their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJ’s father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again while tossing off vague accusations about CJ’s father’s life insurance policy.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because she’ll need it. CJ grows up a lonely, sad girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJ’s life, and helps her to believe in the magic of the animal’s spirit.

It’s about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dog’s journey. This isn’t all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength — it’s about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. It’s about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole schtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggie voice-over, performed by Josh Gad , and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two. Because even among all the coincidences and twists of fate Molly and Max enact, what hits home the most is dogs can offer people unconditional love when they need it most, and that has always been a dog’s purpose.

“A Dog’s Journey” — 2.5 stars

MPAA rating : PG (for thematic content, some peril and rude humor)

Running time : 1:48

Opens : Friday

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‘the flats’ and ‘no other land’ land big honors at cph:dox, ‘a dog’s journey’ review: dennis quaid & bailey are back in emotional sequel with heart and purpose.

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When it comes to dog stories, author W. Bruce Cameron is prolific in writing them and then getting them made into movies. Universal released his A Dog’s Purpose  in 2017, and now has followed it up with a sequel, A Dog’s Journey.  The latter is not to be confused with Columbia’s Cameron opus A Dog’s Way Home, which was a separate tale that came out earlier this year, but you would be excused if you think you were experiencing deja vu. You aren’t.

Of the trio the latest is the greatest, especially for dog lovers who want to believe our mutt is looking out for us like a guardian angel. Emmy-winning TV sitcom director Gail Mancuso has taken over the directing leash from Dog’s Purpose  helmer Lasse (not Lassie) Hallstrom, who once made a movie called My Life As a Dog which wasn’t about dogs at all, but I digress.

It’s during a highly emotional scene as the aged Bailey is being put to sleep that the promise is made — as we are only too aware throughout this movie, as in Purpose, with Josh Gad’s voice-over performance as Bailey and all his alter-egos (which this time include a beagle/spaniel mix named Molly rescued by the 11-year-old CJ (Abby Ryder Forston); Big Dog, who has a brief chance encounter with CJ; and  a Yorkshire Terrier named Max, who stumbles into the life of an older CJ (now played by Kathryn Prescott).

Along the way there are plenty of funny adventures with the various incarnations of Bailey, all determined to make sure CJ lives a good and happy life despite her propensity for hooking up with the wrong kind of boyfriend — particularly in a subplot involving a creepy guy named Shane (Jack Manley) that goes very bad. I could have done without that part, but it is obviously thrown in to add drama. There is also her good childhood friend Trent (Ian Chen and Henry Lau at different ages); clearly he is the guy the dog needs to keep in the picture, and does so especially when a cancer diagnosis becomes part of the plot.

Mancuso does a lovely job of making the transitions and brief dog death scenes less painful and numerous than they were in A Dog’s Purpose,  and she has found the perfect cornfield as a connective tissue. And speaking of tissue, you made need a few. — Mark Isham’s lush score makes sure of that. As for the actors, it is nice to see Quaid back, even with heavy aging makeup. Marg Helgenberger, with little to do, replaces the late Peggy Lipton. Prescott and Lau are particularly impressive, and Gilpin brings a certain complexity to Gloria that makes a largely unsympathetic character feel very real.

I am a sucker for a boy-and-his-dog movies of every stripe, but this one flips the usual gender and makes a girl and her dog just as effective. I have to say it really hit the spot for me. Anyone who ever loved a dog and had to say goodbye will likely agree this movie is therapeutic.

Check out my video review that includes scenes from the film in the video above. Gavin Palone is the producer and Universal releases the film Friday. I say go.

Do you plan to see  A Dog’s Journey?  Let us know what you think.

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How ‘A Dog’s Journey’ got a sequel, thanks to China

Entertainment hollywood.

The story centres on a dog whose spirit is reincarnated in different generations of dogs

When ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ hit theatres a couple of years ago, it looked like a flop. In addition to dismal reviews (a 34 per cent “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes), just three weeks before opening, the family film had been accused of on-set animal abuse. In the wake of the controversy — launched when a video leaked to TMZ depicting a German shepherd apparently nearly drowning while performing a stunt — industry tracking services lowered their box office estimates for the movie.

Still, the film based on W Bruce Cameron’s best-selling novel went on to gross $64.5 million (Dh236.87 million) in North America. While that’s a pretty strong tally for a film that cost roughly $20 million to make, what was more surprising was just how well ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ did overseas. The movie collected $140.5 million internationally — $88.5 million of which came from China.

“When I heard we were getting released in China, I thought maybe we could make $5 million in box office or something, and that would be helpful to break even,” recalled the film’s producer, Gavin Polone. “And then when we saw the numbers out of China, it was a shock. Nobody was prepared for the tsunami.”

That film, ‘A Dog’s Journey’, will debut on May 9 in the UAE. Like ‘A Dog’s Purpose’, the story centers on a canine whose spirit is reincarnated in different generations of dogs, serving a life-changing purpose for each one of its owners. American moviegoers will again recognise the franchise’s biggest star, Dennis Quaid. But those in Asia may be more inclined to show up for the film because of its young male lead, Henry Lau.

Lau, 29, grew up in Canada as the son of Hong Kong and Taiwanese immigrants. Toward the end of high school, the classically trained musician won a local talent competition held by SM Entertainment, the Korean company behind the biggest K-Pop groups. He was quickly granted a spot in Super Junior-M, which would go on to become one of the biggest boy bands on the K-Pop scene. Lau remained in the group until last year and has since embarked on a solo music career, amassing 6.2 million followers on Instagram.

Though he appeared opposite veteran actress Michelle Yeoh in a 2013 Korean film, ‘Final Recipe’, Lau had little acting experience when he was cast in ‘A Dog’s Journey’. He was suggested to the filmmakers by Alibaba Pictures, the Chinese company that owns a stake in Amblin Partners, the Steven Spielberg-led studio behind both of the dog movies. (Amblin has a distribution deal with Universal Pictures, which is releasing ‘A Dog’s Journey’.)

“We wouldn’t have gone with him if we didn’t think his reading was fantastic,” insisted Polone. “But if we have a character that gives us the opportunity to be more effectively marketed in China and Korea _ and at the same time, have him be good _ why wouldn’t we want that?”

Polone attributes the first film’s success in China almost entirely to Alibaba, which created an elaborate marketing strategy to promote the movie. As part of the company’s relationship with Amblin, it helped the studio determine which films might have potential in China.

“A Dog’s Purpose” wasn’t an “obvious choice,” acknowledged Wei Zhang, president of Alibaba Pictures. But after screening the film, she had a feeling its heart-warming tone could work in the country. Zhang dug into some research and discovered that 30 per cent of China’s population owned pets. Through the parent company’s online marketplaces like Taobao and Tmall — where nearly 700 million consumers shop — she discovered that the sale of pet products had been rising healthily.

“There was a substantial group of superusers — people who treat their pets essentially like children and buy them very high-quality products,” Zhang explained. “This is a big change. When I was growing up, no one had dogs. But we have a huge and rising middle class in China today with disposable income. Owning pets is one way people are enriching their lives.”

Zhang set up a partnership with a dog marketing agency, creating an event where pet owners could bring their dogs to walk a red carpet in conjunction with the film. Lau, who splits his time between China and South Korea, remembers the film being so popular it earned a nickname.

“I didn’t even know the title of the movie, but everyone kept talking about ‘the dog movie,’” Lau said during a recent trip to LA, where he was trailed by a make-up artist, a hair stylist, his brother, multiple publicity representatives and a man documenting his activity for social media feeds.

“That’s what it was called. When I found out that I was doing the sequel, everyone was like, ‘The dog movie?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, dog movie 2!’ But there’s a lot of pressure because it did so well there. I think it’s because of the culture. The themes in this movie _ it talks about forgiveness, family, love — I think those are very powerful things, especially in China. Those are themes that every Chinese person can relate with.”

With Lau cast for ‘A Dog’s Journey’, Polone was busy making sure no further allegations of animal mistreatment would arise from the franchise. Instead of relying solely on American Humane _ the oft-criticised organisation tasked with ensuring “no animals were harmed” on Hollywood sets — the producer hired an additional animal supervisor, Jami LoVullo, who runs a non-profit called the Animal Protection Agency.

And though Amblin “was very wedded” to the animal trainers who had worked on ‘A Dog’s Purpose’, Polone said he persuaded the studio to hire new handlers in which he felt more confident. Finally, he made a key change at the top.

Lasse Hallstrom, the Oscar-nominated Swedish director who had helmed the first film, was not asked to return for the sequel. Referring to Hallstrom as a “giant [ expletive]” who was “insensitive and not prepared,” Polone sought a female filmmaker to lead ‘A Dog’s Journey’.

“I just think women are more sensitive to animals than men,” said Polone, adding that he didn’t care whether that’s controversial. “Even though the trainers on ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ weren’t bad people, they were men, and there’s a male thing; you become very goal-oriented and, like, ‘I’m gonna get this done.’ I think women are less that way and think more about what is going to be right and the feelings of the animals.”

Hallstrom did not respond to a request for comment.

Gail Mancuso, who has won two Emmys directing television series including ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Roseanne’, got the directing gig. Though ‘A Dog’s Journey’ marked her first time at the helm of a feature film, Mancuso had worked with animals before and has five dogs of her own. She said the film set was one of the “happiest” she’s ever worked on, with the crew erupting into applause for the dogs after each scene wrapped.

“We had so many animal representatives on the set watching with us while we were shooting, and the dogs had their own security teams,” Mancuso said, “just to make sure that they get from set to their trailers. It sounds silly. But I think it’s a great idea, now that I’ve seen it. ... I totally relied on the trainers to gauge how the dogs were doing. It’s not like they have to sit with us for the whole scene. They do little bits here and there, and we had doubles. If a dog was tired and they thought, ‘Let’s take a break,’ we took a break.”

Quaid, who worked on both films, is still insistent that no animal mistreatment occurred on ‘A Dog’s Purpose’. That’s why, in the wake of the 2017 controversy, he “went out and took the movie on my back and did the press for it, because I thought it was really wrong, what they were claiming.”

He said he asked Universal to show him footage of the alleged stunt-gone-wrong from all angles, including b-roll. After reviewing the camera shots, the actor said he felt there’d been “a big misrepresentation” promoted largely by PETA. “I think people were intimidated by that because they didn’t want to get seen on the wrong side of a politically correct issue.”

A lifelong dog lover who has brought his miniature English bulldog, Peaches, on the promotional circuit for ‘A Dog’s Journey’, Quaid said he’s glad the first film was able to reach an audience despite the flak it received. And he’s eager to go to China to promote the sequel, which does not yet have a release date in the country.

“I’m actually lobbying to go over there,” the actor said. “The last time I was there was 1978, when they just had oxcarts and bicycles. I’d love to see it now. China’s crazy about dogs.”

Don’t miss it!

‘A Dog’s Journey’ releases in the UAE on May 16.

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Is A Dog’s Way Home a Sequel to A Dog’s Purpose?

Well, is it a sequel? Yes. And no. It’s also kind of a remake. I’ll get to that in a minute.

A Dog’s Way Home and A Dog’s Purpose , both written by W. Bruce Cameron, are intended as the first two parts in a “shared universe” dog trilogy. This is slated to culminate in A Dog’s Journey  later this year.

What both current movies have in common — besides, you know, dogs — is a desire to make their audiences cry. So if that doesn’t sound like a fun time, neither of these films are for you. At least try not to see them alone.

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One thing you might recall from A Dog’s Purpose is how the titular dog, in one of his lives, has a swim rescue scene where the actual canine actor almost drowned . That kind of terrifying real-life event can go on to sink a franchise, and the new movie will probably remind everyone of Peta’s Purpose movie boycott action: “No amount of spin from Hollywood will change the fact that being forced to do a terrifying stunt is not a dog’s purpose,” said PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange in a statement. “PETA is calling on kind people to boycott this film and send the message that animals should be treated humanely, not exploited as movie props.”

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I mentioned above that A Dog’s Way Home  is also a remake, because the theme of ‘pet crossing the country to get home’ has already been told a few times on the big screen. The 1963 live action Disney film The Incredible Journey features a bull terrier, a lab mix, and a Siamese cat who band together to cross a vast distance and help each other through many dangers…and it’s still the film to beat.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) was a rebooted version with a few changes (this features the animals narrating, as does the one canine in A Dog’s Way Home ), but is essentially the same story.

I’m willing to bet W. Bruce Cameron saw both of these movies.  🙂

Movie Review – A Dog’s Purpose – A Brutal Experience in Non-Stop Crying

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• Mass Market Paperback

A Dog’s Purpose —the #1 New York Times bestseller and major motion picture —is a perfect gift to introduce dog lovers to this wonderful series. Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Purpose , from director Lasse Hallström ( The Cider House Rules , Dear John , The 100-Foot Journey ), shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love. The family film told from the dog’s perspective also stars Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, John Ortiz, Peggy Lipton, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, Pooch Hall and Dennis Quaid. A Dog’s Purpose is produced by Gavin Polone ( Zombieland , TV’s Gilmore Girls ). The film from Amblin Entertainment and Walden Media will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon and Audrey Wells and Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky. Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose. Bailey's story continues in A Dog's Journey , the charming New York Times and USA Today bestselling direct sequel to A Dog's Purpose . A Dog's Purpose Series #1 A Dog’s Purpose #2 A Dog’s Journey #3 A Dog's Promise Books for Young Readers Ellie's Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Bailey’s Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Molly's Story: A Dog's Purpose Puppy Tale Max's Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Toby's Story: A Dog's Purpose Puppy Tale Shelby's Story: A Dog's Way Home Novel The Rudy McCann Series The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man Repo Madness Other Novels A Dog's Way Home The Dog Master The Dogs of Christmas Emory’s Gift At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The phenomenal New York Times Number One bestseller about the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human. Now a major film starring Dennis Quaid. This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog's Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here? Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey's search for his new life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of eight-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures, Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog. But this life as a family pet is not the end of Bailey's journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders – will he ever find his purpose? Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

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Now a major film, starring Dennis Quaid. From W. Bruce Cameron, the author of A Dog's Purpose , the phenomenal New York Times Number One bestseller about the unbreakable bond between a dog and their human. Buddy is a good dog. He thought he had found and fulfilled his purpose, over the course of several lives, in helping his beloved boy Ethan. On the farm, Buddy watches over Ethan’s granddaughter, curious baby Clarity, trying to keep her out of mischief. He begins to realize that this is a little girl very much in need of a dog of her own. Buddy realizes that he has a new destiny. Reborn once more, he's overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs – who will take care of his girl? With her selfish mother determined to keep them apart, and an unpredictable, obsessive boyfriend, Clarity's life threatens to spiral out of control – she needs help more than ever, but can Buddy find his way back to her in time? A charming and heartwarming story of hope, love, and unending devotion, A Dog's Journey asks the question: Do we really take care of our pets, or do they take care of us? This is a moving story of unwavering loyalty and a love that crosses all barriers.

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Sometimes, only a dog's love can heal a family. A Dog’s Promise is the heart-warming and uplifting story about a dog who helps a family that are on the verge of breaking apart. From W. Bruce Cameron the international number one bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose , this novel is perfect of fans of Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain . Bailey knows one thing for sure: all dogs who offer unconditional love, just like him, are destined for heaven. But before Bailey can rest in peace, there’s one family in particular that needs his help. A family that is on the verge of breaking apart. Bailey knows that helping this family means he won’t remember his previous lives, and the other families that he’s met and loved, but sometimes making the sacrifice to help those in need is its own reward. Deeply emotional and beautifully told, A Dog’s Promise will speak to dog lovers all over the world who know that their pets are sent to them for a reason and that their love can heal all wounds.

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W. Bruce Cameron is the New York Times bestselling author of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, The Dog Master, and the A Dog's Purpose series. In 2011 he was named Columnist of the Year by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He lives in California.

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A puppy’s journey part 3: Home

This is part 3 of a three-part series about Sonny. Read part 1 . Read part 2 .

Surely, they couldn’t have a dog. Joshua Ramus was more of a cat person, and Liana Khatri had always liked dogs but felt it wasn’t feasible to add a dog to the household. They both work long hours, and then there’s the reality of having a dog in Manhattan and the potty walks that go with it. But daughter Lilyblue had been making the case for a long time. Could they please, please get a dog?

“Finally I said, why don’t we just foster because it’s a little bit lower stakes,” says Liana. Now, that’s a reasonable mindset to have when considering bringing home a pet, and it’s especially helpful when bargaining with a teenager who wants a dog more than anything. But none of them planned on their speckled little foster pup working his way into their lives so fast or so beautifully. They hadn’t bargained for Sonny.

Fostering a puppy

Shortly after signing up to foster a pet from Best Friends, the family received an email: There was a puppy arriving soon from Alabama who needed a foster home; could they take him? The attached photo showed a little dog named Sonny with a speckled, spotted, and dappled coat.

This was it. The time had come to try out living with a dog in the city — but just temporarily, of course. They responded that yes, they’d take him. “We were just so excited to foster him and see what it was like,” Liana says. The plan was to bring Sonny home for about two weeks. The Best Friends team introduced them to Sonny and sent him home with the supplies he’d need. Sonny, for his part, showed them the way with his impeccable manners and easygoing nature.

[ Rexie the ‘T. rex’ pup loves life in his new home ]

“He was patient and calm. When it was time for a walk or to go out, he just sat politely while we put his harness on,” Liana says. “He was quiet and never barked and (was) so friendly with people and other dogs.”

Liana did her part, taking Sonny out on his leash with the words “adopt me” printed on it. She dutifully told Sonny’s story to anyone who asked and explained that he was available for adoption from Best Friends.

But at the same time, she and her family were already smitten with Sonny. “Joshua had been the most resistant, but he was the one who fell in love with Sonny the most,” Liana says. They weren’t the only ones.

A home for Sonny?

At the park one day, Sonny kept making a beeline over to a woman who was there with her daughter and her daughter’s dogs. “She was just sitting there minding her own business, and Sonny kept going up to her,” Liana says. Eventually they came over to Liana to ask her about her dog. “I said he’s not really my dog; he’s up for adoption.”

She told them all about Best Friends and gave them the phone number to the New York Best Friends Lifesaving Center . As they kept talking, it turned out that Jill, who was in town visiting from Long Island, had a dog who passed away a couple years ago, and she had resolved never to get another dog.

But Sonny has a way of charming everyone. And he seems to have a special knack for winning over people who do not want a puppy or a dog at all. Maybe Jill hadn’t planned on having a dog again, but this dog? Maybe she’d change her mind for him. Liana and Jill exchanged phone numbers and left the park thinking that going home with Jill could be in Sonny’s future.

Decisions, decisions

Liana knew that Sonny would be heading out for a couple days to play in Puppy Bowl XX , but she didn’t realize that they’d have to make a difficult decision about adopting him — and soon. The original plan had been to take care of their foster puppy for a little bit, and then someone else would adopt him and take him home. “This was all a little wild because just days prior we weren’t even thinking of keeping a dog, and then all of a sudden we’re all in love with him,” Liana says.

But with people beginning to show interest in adopting Sonny, the Best Friends team asked his foster family to decide — did they want to adopt him or let him go? It was clear how the three of them felt about Sonny. He was the perfect first dog for them. But there was one more call to make before saying yes to adopting Sonny. Liana wanted to talk to Jill. She was a little worried Jill might be upset since she’d fallen for Sonny at the park, and it seemed clear that she could give Sonny a wonderful home.

But when Liana called Jill, her reaction to Liana’s confession that they wanted to keep Sonny was the opposite of what Liana feared. “She was so happy for us and said if we ever need her, that we could bring Sonny to her in Long Island and she’ll gladly take him,” Liana says. That gave Liana the confidence to make it official. Sonny was home.

Sonny, mayor of Tribeca

Lilyblue is over the moon that they did get to have a puppy after all. Both Joshua and Liana say that living with Sonny has changed their lives. “Joshua brought him to work with him the other day, and no one could believe that he has this funny little dog,” Liana says. “He is an architect, and he seems like such a serious person. People who know him wouldn’t think he would have a dog like this.” But there you have it. Sonny just has a way about him.

The family is beginning to see how living with a dog opens the world in a new way. “There are millions of people in New York, and no one really goes around greeting each other,” Liana says. Unless you have a dog like Sonny. He follows her to take out the trash and to the laundry room and, of course, to go outside, and everywhere people stop to say hello to the little speckled pup.

[ 6 pet foster-win stories ]

“He’s famous in our neighborhood, a local celebrity,” Liana says. Sonny insists on stopping outside the doorman office until they come out, and he has so many friends in the neighborhood. Liana says, “There’s his friend Rigatoni and his friend Randall, and Randall’s mom is April. His girlfriend’s name is Matilda. His newest friend Stanley is a 4-month-old Chihuahua and beagle mix who was just adopted. All these people live on different blocks, but you end up speaking to these people who are your neighbors.”

And don’t forget about “Auntie Jill,” who is still in touch with Liana and loves getting photos and updates about her friend. She even told her friends and family to vote for him as “Most Pupular” in the Puppy Bowl.

Sonny is also helping spread the word about adopting pets. So many people stop to say hello to him, and they often ask what breed he is. “We’re in Tribeca, and a lot of people have these fancy dogs. They’re shocked to hear that he’s a mutt from the shelter,” Liana says. “I always feel good about that, to represent mutts, and for people to know that you can get a really cute, well-behaved puppy from a shelter and you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars.”

Adopting a pet

In fact, the shelter Sonny came from in Alabama takes in puppies every single week. Across the country, shelters are full of adorable, one-of-a-kind puppies, dogs, cats, and kittens who all need homes. Their lives literally depend on people showing up to foster them, volunteering to help take care of them, driving them where they need to go, and ultimately bringing them home.

In turn, those pets bring so much happiness to their homes. “Living with Sonny has made me slow down a lot,” Liana says. “Before, if I had a bad day at work I would come home and keep thinking about it, or I’d keep grinding out emails.”

But now when she comes home from her job as an executive chef, there’s a dog to walk, and she leaves her phone behind when she takes him out. When they’re out together it doesn’t matter who’s calling or emailing. Sonny causes her to be a little more mindful, a little more calm.

“If I’ve had a bad day now, I come home and I pet Sonny for five minutes and think, ‘What was I even upset about?’” Liana says. “He’s not a therapy dog or anything. That’s just what pets do.”

Is Sonny an extraordinary dog? Yes. And animal shelters across the country are filled with extraordinary souls like him whose lives depend on whether someone brings them home.

Sonny is happy, healthy, and home today not because of one heroic person but because of people all along the way who did their part to help him get there.

Will Sonny score the winning touchdown?

Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025 . No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

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Which NCAA basketball teams are in March Madness 2024? See the full list by conference

By Jordan Freiman

Updated on: March 22, 2024 / 10:41 PM EDT / CBS News

The teams for the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament have been selected, as 68 schools square off in March Madness.

The tournament bracket consists of the 32 Division I conference tournament winners, along with 36 teams that received at-large bids from the selection committee. Prior to the start of the first round, the field is being whittled down to 64 teams as eight teams are competing in the First Four play-in round.

While each conference is guaranteed at least one team in the tournament, the bulk of the at-large bids tend to go to the so-called Power Five conferences: the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12 and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The future of the Pac-12 , however, remains murky at best, as 10 of the 12 schools will be joining other conferences in the 2024-2025 school year.

Below is a list of every 2024 March Madness team broken down by conference.

America East teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Vermont Catamounts — Eliminated

American Athletic teams playing in March Madness 2024

• University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers — Eliminated
• Florida Atlantic Owls — Eliminated

Atlantic Ten teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Duquesne Dukes
• Dayton Flyers

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams playing in March Madness 2024

• North Carolina Tar Heels
• Duke Blue Devils
• NC State Wolfpack
• Virginia Cavaliers — Eliminated
• Clemson Tigers

Atlantic Sun teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Stetson Hatters— Eliminated

Big 12 teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Houston Cougars
• BYU Cougars — Eliminated
• Texas Tech Red Raiders — Eliminated
• TCU Horned Frogs
• Baylor Bears
• Kansas Jayhawks
• Texas Longhorns
• Iowa State Cyclones

Big East teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Connecticut Huskies
• Marquette Golden Eagles
• Creighton Bluejays

Big Sky teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Montana State Bobcats — Eliminated

Big South teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Longwood Lancers

Big Ten teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Purdue Boilermakers
• Illinois Fighting Illini
• Wisconsin Badgers
• Northwestern Wildcats
• Nebraska Cornhuskers — Eliminated
• Michigan State Spartans

Big West teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Long Beach State Beach — Eliminated

Coastal Athletic Association teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Charleston Cougars — Eliminated

Conference USA teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Western Kentucky Hilltoppers — Eliminated

Horizon League teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Ivy League teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Yale Bulldogs

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Saint Peter's Peacocks — Eliminated

Mid-American Conference teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Akron Zips — Eliminated

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Howard Bison — Eliminated

Missouri Valley teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Drake Bulldogs — Eliminated

Mountain West teams playing in March Madness 2024

• New Mexico Lobos — Eliminated
• San Diego State Aztecs
• Boise State Broncos — Eliminated
• Utah State Aggies
• Colorado State Rams — Eliminated
• Nevada Wolf Pack — Eliminated

Northeast teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Wagner Seahawks — Eliminated

Ohio Valley teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Morehead State Eagles — Eliminated

Pac-12 teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Arizona Wildcats
• Oregon Ducks
• Washington State Cougars
• Colorado Buffaloes

Patriot League teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Colgate Raiders — Eliminated

Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Tennessee Volunteers
• Auburn Tigers — Eliminated
• Kentucky Wildcats — Eliminated
• Texas A&M Aggies
• Florida Gators — Eliminated
• South Carolina Gamecocks — Eliminated
• Mississippi State Bulldogs — Eliminated
• Alabama Crimson Tide

Southern teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Samford Bulldogs — Eliminated

Southland teams playing in March Madness 2024

• McNeese State Cowboys — Eliminated

Southwestern Athletic Conference teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Grambling State Tigers — Eliminated

Summit League teams playing in March Madness 2024

• South Dakota State Jackrabbits — Eliminated

Sun Belt teams playing in March Madness 2024

• James Madison Dukes

West Coast teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Saint Mary's Gaels
• Gonzaga Bulldogs

Western Athletic Conference teams playing in March Madness 2024

• Grand Canyon Antelopes

Full list of March Madness 2024 teams

• Stetson Hatters — Eliminated
• Boise State Broncos

Jordan Freiman is an editor and writer for CBSNews.com. He covers breaking news, trending stories, sports and crime. Jordan has previously worked at Spin and Death and Taxes.

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Powerful Realtor Group Agrees to Slash Commissions to Settle Lawsuits

The National Association of Realtors will pay $418 million in damages and will amend several rules that housing experts say will drive down housing costs.

By Debra Kamin

American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal that will eliminate a bedrock of the industry, the standard 6 percent sales commission.

The National Association of Realtors, a powerful organization that has set the guidelines for home sales for decades, has agreed to settle a series of lawsuits by paying $418 million in damages and by eliminating its rules on commissions. Legal counsel for N.A.R. approved the agreement early Friday morning, and The New York Times obtained a copy of the signed document.

The deal, which lawyers anticipate will be filed within weeks and still needs a federal court’s approval, would end a multitude of legal claims from home sellers who argued that the rules forced them to pay excessive fees.

In a statement released on Friday morning, Nykia Wright, the interim chief executive of N.A.R., said “It has always been our goal to preserve consumer choice and protect our members to the greatest extent possible. This settlement achieves both of those goals.”

Housing experts said the deal, and the expected savings for homeowners, could trigger one of the most significant jolts in the U.S. housing market in 100 years. “This will blow up the market and would force a new business model ,” said Norm Miller, a professor emeritus of real estate at the University of San Diego.

Americans pay roughly $100 billion in real estate commissions annually, and real estate agents in the United States have some of the highest standard commissions in the world. In many other countries, commission rates hover between 1 and 3 percent. In the United States, most agents specify a commission of 5 or 6 percent, paid by the seller. If the buyer has an agent, the seller’s agent agrees to share a portion of the commission with that agent when listing the home on the market.

An American homeowner currently looking to sell a $1 million home should expect to spend up to $60,000 on real estate commissions alone, with $30,000 going to his agent and $30,000 going to the agent who brings a buyer. Even for a home that costs $400,000 — close to the current median for homes across the United States — sellers are still paying around $24,000 in commissions, a cost that is baked into the final sales price of the home.

The lawsuits argued that N.A.R., and brokerages who required their agents to be members of N.A.R., had violated antitrust laws by mandating that the seller’s agent make an offer of payment to the buyer’s agent, and setting rules that led to an industrywide standard commission. Without that rate essentially guaranteed, agents will now most likely have to lower their commissions as they compete for business.

Economists estimate that commissions could now be reduced by 30 percent, driving down home prices across the board. The opening of a free market for Realtor compensation could mirror the shake-up that occurred in the travel industry with the emergence of online broker sites such as Expedia and Kayak.

“The forces of competition will be let loose,” said Benjamin Brown, co-chairman of the antitrust practice at Cohen Milstein and one of the lawyers who hammered out the settlement. “You’ll see some new pricing models, and some new and creative ways to provide services to home buyers. It’ll be a really exciting time for the industry.”

The original lawsuit, filed in April 2019 by a group of Missouri home sellers, ended in a verdict of $1.8 billion in October. Because the suit included accusations of antitrust violations, plaintiffs could have been eligible for triple damages of up to $5.4 billion. In exchange for the reduction in damages, the association gave up its right to appeal. The verdict sent shock waves through the real estate industry and has since catalyzed into more than a dozen copycat suits across the country, including a nationwide class-action case that ensnares the country’s largest brokerage and its owner, Warren E. Buffett. That brokerage, Berkshire Hathaway, has not settled, but others, including Keller Williams and Re/Max, have settled in separate cases. N.A.R. now joins them.

Under the settlement, tens of millions of home sellers will likely be eligible to receive a small piece of a consolidated class-action payout.

The legal loss struck a blow to the power wielded by the organization, which has long been considered untouchable, insulated by its influence. Founded in 1908, N.A.R. has more than $1 billion in assets, 1.3 million members and a political action committee that pours millions into the coffers of candidates across the political spectrum.

The antitrust division of the Department of Justice is continuing its investigation of N.A.R.’s practices, including the organization’s oversight of databases for home listings, called multiple listing sites or the M.L.S. The sites are owned and operated by N.A.R.’s local affiliates. For decades, the Justice Department has questioned whether these databases stifle competition and whether some N.A.R. rules foster price-fixing on commissions.

Some experts said the shift on commission structure, and the billions of dollars that would flow into the housing market as a result, could spark a recovery in the housing market, going so far as to say that it could be as significant as the 1930s New Deal, a flurry of legislation and executive orders signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt designed to stabilize and rebuild the nation’s economic recovery following the Great Depression. This included the Better Housing Program, which was designed to make housing and mortgages more accessible and led to the creation of the Federal Housing Administration.

The financial crisis of 2008, when home values imploded, and earlier changes to the mortgage industry in the 1970s and 1980s, including the creation of Freddie Mac and the introduction of the adjustable rate mortgage, also set off permanent transformations. With Friday’s settlement, the process of buying and selling a home is now in for another historical change.

“This will be a really fundamental shift in how Americans buy, search for, and purchase and sell their housing. It will absolutely transform the real estate industry,” said Max Besbris, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of “Upsold,” a book exploring the link between housing prices and the real estate business. “It will prompt one of the biggest transformations to the housing market since New Deal-era regulations were put in place.”

The October verdict landed at a time of swirling controversy for the organization , and in the last five months, its internal turmoil reached a fever pitch. Its chief executive, Bob Goldberg, announced in a closed-door meeting that he would retire , just days after the verdict. His exit followed that of N.A.R. president Kenny Parcell, who resigned in August two days after a Times investigation revealed widespread allegations of sexual harassment.

In January, N.A.R.’s new president, Tracy Kasper, who had stepped into the role early with a pledge of reshaping the organization’s culture and fighting the lawsuits at all costs, announced her own sudden exit after N.A.R. said Ms. Kasper was the target of blackmail.

Despite N.A.R.’s turbulence over the last several months, however, there was one constant: their insistence that the lawsuits were flawed and they intended to appeal. With Friday’s settlement agreement, N.A.R. gave up the fight.

The settlement includes many significant rule changes. It bans N.A.R. from establishing any sort of rules that would allow a seller’s agent to set compensation for a buyer’s agent, a practice that critics say has long led to “steering,” in which buyers’ agents direct their clients to pricier homes in a bid to collect a bigger commission check.

And on the online databases used to buy and sell homes, the M.L.S., the settlement requires that any fields displaying broker compensation be eliminated entirely. It also places a blanket ban on the longtime requirement that agents subscribe to multiple listing services in the first place in order to offer or accept compensation for their work.

N.A.R. has repeatedly insisted that it does not own multiple listing sites, but the majority of them are owned and operated by the local Realtor associations that operate as N.A.R. subsidiaries. Now, with the settlement effectively severing the link between agent compensation and M.L.S. access, many agents are likely to rethink their membership in the association.

“The reset button on the sale of homes was hit today,” said Michael Ketchmark, the Kansas City lawyer who represented the home sellers in the main lawsuit. “Anyone who owns a home or dreams of owning one will benefit tremendously from this settlement.”

Debra Kamin reports on real estate, covering what it means to buy, sell and own a home in America today. More about Debra Kamin

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Olympic hopefuls take to lake natoma on a journey to paris.

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Hopefuls for the 2024 Olympics were out in the water in Northern California on Friday as part of their journey to get to Paris.

At Lake Natoma in the Folsom Lake Recreation Area, athletes paddled to show off their skill and ability.

Sprint kayakers are competing in Round 1 of the U.S. Olympic canoe-kayak team trials.

Kali Wilding is hoping to get the United States in Paris for sprint kayaking, as there was none in the last Olympics.

Her mother and coach, Shelley Oates-Wilding, competed as a two-time Olympian for Australia.

"This is for me a chance to let it happen when training is a chance to make it happen," Oates-Wilding said. "So we make sure that when our athletes walk up here, they don't do anything different. No pressure on themselves. They've done the times in training.

Jack Wallace is also seeking his spot. The dual athlete, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in sled hockey, now eyes winning big in the para canoe event.

The trials races range from 200 meters to 1,000 meters and take anywhere from 40 seconds to four minutes to complete.

But the road to Paris — whether it's an actual road, or in this case, water — does not stop here; it's a two-step process. Next month are the continental qualifiers.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app .

My dog died in the middle of the night in my bed. The worst part of having a dog is knowing you'll outlast them.

• My dog died in my bed in the middle of the night.
• I woke up without knowing what to do with my dog, while also grieving. 
• I saw my dog everywhere in my apartment after he was gone. 

"What do you do with a dead dog in your bed at 7 a.m.?"

It was a question even Siri couldn't answer . "I'm afraid I don't know," she replied. My electronics were useless, Harry — my dog — and I faced our last test together.

To say I didn't know he was dying would be untrue. The worst part of dog ownership is knowing you'll outlast them. But I didn't know he was sick. Sure, he'd aged, and his penchant for biting male suitors started to wane. Harry was nearly 13, and since birth, a biter I regularly defended against grown men with exaggerated apologies, secretly thinking, "he's 10 pounds; grow up."

He chose me

Harry and I always chose each other, although at first, he chose me.

At 22, I walked into a pet store I had no business in, considering I lived at a 450-not-dog-friendly square feet apartment. And I had no money.

Still, I proceeded to kill time by walking around tiny kennels with dogs along the long side and cats on the short. I wasn't worried about my impulsivity around the cats. But a Maltese with horrible real estate, the last dog before the cats, started going berserk. Barking, spinning, jumping. "I guess I'll play with that one," I thought.

We never stopped playing. And he became my dog.    

We did everything together

Harry and I built a life spanning every job, boyfriend, man I thought was my boyfriend but wasn't, and every New York apartment I ever had.

We'd been kicked out of places — sometimes his mouth, sometimes mine.

We traveled well, despite twice returning to dogless hotel rooms, which ended with a note: "Your dog is at security." Sheepishly, I went to collect my animal, tail between my legs, knowing his imprisonment was likely warranted. We'd been too close to the elevator, ice machine, or anyone who dared to enjoy themselves audibly in the hallway.

I knew my dog . When Harry did anything, he did it all the way. 

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Including his decline, which I should have seen coming. 

I knew he was old, but didn't know how sick he was

He yelped once when I put on his jacket. I was rushing. He developed a slight limp. I thought he'd stepped on sidewalk salt . He started moving too slowly. Where he used to outpace me, we'd traded places. "Please hurry up," I pleaded on one of our last walks together.

Soon, I could no longer ignore the probability: there was something wrong with Harry. And a possibility: there might be something really wrong with Harry.

"He's lost two pounds since his last visit…" the vet trailed while looking down. I did quick math: nearly 20% of his body weight.

As a childless, husbandless woman in her mid-30s, this dog is the only living thing I take care of.

Cancer was everywhere. His limp was not street-salt.  His tiny bones were beginning to fracture.  And I had the nerve to hurry him up on a walk.

Then, it all came fast. On the couch where we spent most of Harry's last week, him on my chest, it was time to tell the truth, just so that we knew it. "It is OK if you have to go," I told him, and I apologized to him.

For the first time ever, Harry listened.

He died in my bed

We woke up together in bed the next morning, only one of us warm. Every few hours, I had gotten into the habit of feeling for breath. Somewhere between 3 a.m. and 7:07 a.m. Harry was gone.

Concluding a week's worth of actual nightmare — was now a logistical one.   What do you do with a dead dog in your bed?

Googling suggested putting him outside or in a freezer. I called the Vet. No dice. If I'd like to have him cremated , I could bring him after 8 a.m.

I had to plan what to do. I could wrap Harry up in my duvet and carry the giant ball of cotton, down feathers, and dead dog to the vet. Except all his fluids came out after he died, so now the duvet was ruined.

I covered him in a towel instead and tried to find a bag that would fit him. After some deliberation, the only bag I knew would work was a Louis Vuitton OnTheGo — the large book tote with no top enclosure. I had been carrying him in it to his medical visits all week. This was going to be a day of big losses. 

We got to the vet, where they took the dog and returned the bag empty, but the bag had to go. All I saw was Harry. It was bad enough I could visualize him bounding around the apartment's blind corners and kept his bowls out as if to say, "A dog who was as well cared for as I could muster used to live here."

I sold the bag on TheRealReal . They listed it as "like new."

Like me. A bag and a woman, navigating a "like new" life without my beloved Harry.

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Golden Retriever Service Dog Shares Sweet Reunion with His Favorite Character on Disney Cruise

"There were cast members fully tearing up," the golden retriever's owner tells PEOPLE

A service dog named Forest had an unforgettable reunion with his favorite character on a recent Disney cruise.

In a video shared on TikTok by Forest's owner, Ashton McGrady, the affectionate golden retriever exudes joy as he rolls around on the floor and snuggles with a costumed performer dressed as Pluto, all while holding a miniature plush version of the famous pooch in his mouth.

"Proof that distance won't keep the very best of friends apart ❤️🚢✨ we love you pluto!!!" McGrady captioned the video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times since March 7.

The Nashville resident, who's had Forest since March 2020, tells PEOPLE the canine is an "absolute goofball."

radiantlygolden/Tiktok

"I've always said that I've never had a dog like him," she says. "I don't know if I'll ever have a dog like him in the future. He is just a very silly, happy-go-lucky kind of dog. And so, so loyal and loving."

Forest's enthusiasm for Pluto began in 2021 when he first met the character at Disney World. The duo have since had "many encounters."

"Either we will intentionally go seek Pluto out to say hello, or Pluto has sought us out," McGrady says. "Pluto stepped out of the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Walt Disney World to say hello to Forest because we were right there in front, and he stopped to wave and blow kisses at Forest. It was adorable."

McGrady and Forest's recent excursion came after she was selected for the Disney Creators Lab, which included a four-day Disney Parks trip and a three-night cruise.

"We had a great time," she says. "They were so accommodating, and Forest loved it. He got to play in the water a little bit at their private island, Castaway Cay. Obviously, we got to greet some characters. And he was a very good boy."

When Forest interacted with Pluto on the cruise, McGrady says people came out of nearby shops to witness the heartwarming meeting.

"There were cast members fully tearing up," she says. 

Forest, who now has five stuffed Pluto toys, had received the latest addition to his collection — a Pluto dressed as a sailor — shortly before he reunited with the character.

"He carried it over to the greeting, and Pluto actually took the toy from him, stuck it in his mouth, and was fully on the floor playing with him. It was just the most wholesome, sweet moment."

McGrady says she's gotten a "really good response" since posting the video on TikTok and Instagram.

"My whole platform is to both entertain and educate about service dogs and people with disabilities," McGrady says. "It was a great opportunity to give them that cute moment. But also, naturally, people are going to ask questions."

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McGrady answered various commenter queries, such as where dogs relieve themselves on a cruise. 

Cruises typically have a spot on one of the decks set up for service animals, she notes. Because her room had a veranda, she could request a potty box for Forest, which she says was much more convenient since she uses a wheelchair.

McGrady says her cruise with Forest was an opportunity to address "all these things surrounding service animals and just how they provide independence to their handlers."

"I was able to have a bunch of great educational moments and conversations," she adds.