Champ: My Story of Survival by Fiona
Ingram and Champ is the amazing story of Champ, a 7-year-old poodle
mix, and how he survived brutal abuse and betrayal at the hands of
people he only wanted to love, to become the beacon of hope for so
many. This story had my emotions all over the place. The first 3 –
4 pages had me crying, then came the anger for the people that could
do such a thing to a helpless animal like that, then came the anxiety
as I read of his constant setbacks in treatment, and finally the
hopeful smile as he finally got the right medication that would work
for him.
That smile got even bigger as
Champ told me of his grand adventure while on a quest to save not
only CoCo, a pretty Pekingese in his neighborhood, but other dogs
missing from a nearby area. CoCo has been kidnapped and Champ is
determined to find her. As he seeks the help of the Chicken Ladies, they're aghast, but not sure what to do. They decide to enlist the
help of The Pigeon Ladies Flying Club. Surely they would know what to
do; they seem to know everything. I won't spoil it by telling more,
but I will say the Pigeon Ladies have Champ flying high - and low! -
to get to CoCo, and Champ finds out that even a small dog like him
can make a big difference.
Ultimately, this story is a tribute
to the love a dog can continue to feel for a species (humans) at
whose hands he's only known pain and suffering, and his ability to so
readily love and trust again. But it's also for the men and women who
selflessly contribute their time, and often their own money, in
rescue shelters like S.A.F.E. Rescue all across the country. The
foster parents who take in animals like Champ, once they are well
enough to leave the shelters, are to be equally applauded. For Champ,
foster mom Suzy, and foster dad Robert were his angels in disguise.
And once he was well enough to move around, he had a host of friends
to welcome him: the Chicken Ladies, a hamster, a bunny, and three
other rescue dogs. What a wonderful home to be in! I don't doubt they
all played a big role in Champ's recovery - in body and spirit!
There are semi-graphic pictures of
Champ in this book. His injuries were bad, but seeing them will only
heighten your amazement at his will and courage. You'll cheer through
every teardrop at the tenacity of this little dog, and be deeply
moved by his plight. The proceeds from this book and merchandise
sales go to Champ's continued rehabilitation, and to help the many
other dogs that S.A.F.E. Rescue takes in. Each sale of this book can
make a difference, thank you for your support!
Q. Champ, thank you so much for
being with me today. Your story is amazing. Please tell me how you've
been doing these last few months.
A: Hi Chameleon, I’m so happy to
be your guest today. I’ve done a few interviews and I love them.
It’s a chance to tell people about saving animals. As you know, I’m
the Ambassadog for S.A.F.E. Rescue, and I’ve been very busy since
my biodography was published. I set up a Twitter account so I can
Tweet about my book, but also happy ending stories about animals
being saved. I have a Facebook page and website, and my foster mommy
updates this. I also have a Pinterest page where I can share good
news photos and videos as well. Then there’s my blog where I review
animal books and interview other Pawthors. In between all this busy
stuff, I spend time with my wonderful foster family, having fun, and
especially snuggling up to foster mommy Suzy. My leg that was sore is
getting better after I saw my special vet, Dogtor Slaton. So, I am in
the pink!
Q. Champ, you have more friends on
Facebook than I do! So many people have been cheering for you, did it
make a difference in your recovery?
A: You have no idea how much those messages meant to me. When I was still in the hospital, I was so weak, feeling so feeble, as if I could just close my eyes and slip away. I felt as if I didn’t have the strength to hang on, it was so hard to keep going. But my foster mommy came to visit me every day and she would read the Facebook messages to me. I began to realize that despite the bad things that had happened, so many people all over the world (that had never met me) just loved me, cared about me, and prayed for me. Foster mommy Suzy would post updates about me on Facebook, and that’s how my friends got to know how I was doing. She also gave me what humans call a ‘meme.’ NEVER GIVE UP! So I didn’t…
A: You have no idea how much those messages meant to me. When I was still in the hospital, I was so weak, feeling so feeble, as if I could just close my eyes and slip away. I felt as if I didn’t have the strength to hang on, it was so hard to keep going. But my foster mommy came to visit me every day and she would read the Facebook messages to me. I began to realize that despite the bad things that had happened, so many people all over the world (that had never met me) just loved me, cared about me, and prayed for me. Foster mommy Suzy would post updates about me on Facebook, and that’s how my friends got to know how I was doing. She also gave me what humans call a ‘meme.’ NEVER GIVE UP! So I didn’t…
Q. I have to tell you, I was quite
impressed with your story of saving CoCo and the other dogs. Though I
know Fiona helped you write it, that was quite a tale. What inspired
it?
A: Well, this is a secret, but I
know I can tell you – it actually happened. I did fly with the
Pigeon Ladies and it was reported on the TV news channel as well. But
sometimes it’s better if people think it’s just a cute story.
Don't worry,
you're secret is safe with me. All Super Heroes need to maintain a
bit of anonymity.
Q. Tell me about your new friend,
Joe, I hear he's lost his eyes.
A: Joe came to S.A.F.E. Rescue because
his owners gave him up. Fiona did some research and we read that his
eyes were bad because he inherited a defect and his eyes did not
develop properly. It was best to take them out. But many people don’t
know that dogs have fantastic smell and hearing, and Joe says it
doesn’t make a difference not having eyes because he didn’t see
anything anyway. He has a great nose and can sniff things out from
miles away! He came to stay with us for a while and we had such fun,
although I guess humans would say we were naughty. He is my Best
Friend Forever!
Champ with best friend Joe
Q. I also hear that you and Joe have quite a tale to tell, as well, care to give me a sneak peek at that?
A: Yes, please tell everyone that
I’m doing a second book. You know, it’s hard work being a
Pawthor. I do lots of marketing (as you can see in my photos). I also
realized you can’t just have one book. So, Joe and I teamed up with
Fiona for the second book called Champ & Joe: Best Friends
Forever. It’s Joe’s story of how he got saved, his eye operation,
him getting better and finding a Fur-Ever Home. We also wrote an
exciting short story called How Champ & Joe Saved Easter. I’ll
give you a hint – there ARE baddies involved, and Miss Prudence
from the Pigeon Ladies Flying Club helps, as well as Amber, one of my
doggy foster siblings.
Oh my, sounds a
little dangerous, Champ, but how exciting that you got to team up,
once again, with the Pigeon Ladies- and with Joe at your side, no
less! I look forward to reading this adventure!
Champ learns marketing is a big part of being an Indie Pawthor.
Q. I can't express how grateful I am
to the people of S.A.F.E. Rescue for what they did for you, Champ,
and for all the animals that come to them. So much so, in fact, that
I'm taking steps to become a monthly contributor to them. Is there
anything special you'd like to tell my readers about them?
A: Now I’m going to cry (sniff).
Kelli and Suzy and the other Anjils that run S.A.F.E. Rescue are real
Anjils for Aminals. They care about all animals; even the ones people
think are ‘broken.’ They save animals that wouldn’t have a
chance because there is something that needs to be fixed. And they
fix them! I can’t even think of enough words to say how I feel. My
heart gets all full, and I think I might cry a lot. My foster mommy
cared so much for me that I knew it was safe to live again, and to
love and trust people again. S.A.F.E. Rescue needs lots of support to
save more animals. If anyone reading this can help them, please do.
Q. I know you have so many people
you wish you could thank in person, but I think I can speak for
everyone when I say that your happy little face is thanks enough. To
see you smile again is priceless. Your efforts in helping your fellow
animals through your stories will mean a lot to so many, Champ, I
hope you'll give me the opportunity to preview your next adventure
and share it with my readers.
A: I would love to share all my good
news with you again. Book 2 will be happening soon because Fiona says
she is nearly finished. Oops! I almost forgot. My third book is going
to be Champ’s Book of Short Stories & Poems for Children. It’s
going to be lots of fun stories and poetry, and I’m going to invite
everyone I know to contribute to make it a fantastic book!
Well, I hope you
have a very big mailbox, because I bet you'll be flooded with letters
for that!
Thanks for your time, Champ, I hope
to speak with you again, soon!
Woof! Woof!
Champ: My Story of Survival
Click here to purchase for Kindle just 2.99Click here to purchase for Nook, Sony, Apple, Kobo, and other Epub readers Just 2.99
The proceeds from your purchase of Champ's book goes to the support and medical treatment of animals just like Champ. Thank you for your support and kindness! Please share this with all your friends and family.
More from me at www.chameleon-author.com
Chameleon Author
Champ says: "Dear Chameleon, thank you a million times for such a lovely interview, and for sharing the message of love and hope for all abused and rescued animals. Thanks to all the people who love animals, the world will become a better place!"
ReplyDeleteFiona says: "Many, many thanks for taking the time to put together this adorable interview, and for a beautiful book review!"
Champ: you are welcome a million times :) Your story was such an inspiration, and I loved your tale of adventure. You are the best super hero I know!
DeleteFiona, the pleasure was all mine. I can only hope that everyone will share this with all their friends and family. Such a heartwarming story!
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