The Angel by My Side: The True Story of a Dog Who Saved a Man…and a Man Who Saved a Dog

David Frei and Mike Lingenfelter

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David Frei, an internationally known canine expert and a member of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, is a longtime leader in the therapy dog movement. He is also the co-host of The National Dog Show Thanksgiving Day on NBC. For 27 years he was the face and voice of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on USA Network and founded the therapy dog nonprofit Angel On A Leash. He introduced therapy dog visitation to multiple major New York City healthcare facilities, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Angel by my Side”, which he wrote with Mike Lingenfelter, tells the story of a golden retriever named Dakota, who had been rescued from death himself, and how he came to help Mike with his rehabilitative therapy after two heart attacks. Eventually, Dakota became Mike’s protector and his best friend, saving Mike’s life several times after somehow learning how to alert Mike of oncoming heart crises.

Listen in to hear Marcie Davis interviewing David Frei about his work with therapy dogs and the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium on Episode 179 of the Working Like Dogs show.