I’m sure there will be more to follow on this one, but it’s just been announced that Dean Koontz donated another million dollars to Canine Companions for Independence at their Board of Directors reception last night.

I say “another” million because the last official public number I saw shows that the Koontzes have already donated over $5.5 million to CCI, including a surprise $1 million during the November 2008 graduation at the Southwest Regional Center named for them in Oceanside, CA.  The plan was that they were going to donate $100,000, but they decided to surprise everybody (especially the center director, Linda Valliant) and “add a zero”.

You can read that whole story in the Spring 2009 Southwest Region Newsletter.

Absolutely fantastic news!  I’ll add my everlasting thanks to the many I’ve seen for Dean Koontz already today.

Not much to say that I haven’t already said here and here, other than one BIG thing: it’s been announced since I wrote those posts that all the proceeds from the book will go to Canine Companions for Independence. I was out in Oceanside, CA over the weekend for the CCI Southwest Regional Center graduation when that was announced, and it went over big, as you’d expect.

I’m not a fan of celebrity endorsements (and I really don’t think that’s even the correct term here), but I just don’t see how you can do better than Dean Koontz.  He “puts his money where his mouth is” (last number I saw was $5.5 million and who knows how much this book will generate), isn’t out fronting any controversial causes, you don’t read about him out getting in trouble, and so on (now I’ve probably jinxed him). I suppose some people wanna fault him for that big house he lives in, but, sheesh, if that’s the biggest thing you can come up with, well, good luck…

I will add one last thing. As I’ve said repeatedly, this is the dog book of the year, will go to #1, and will be around a long time as people continue to discover it.  It’s gonna be HUGE.

“In this big world, she was a little thing, but in all the ways that mattered, including the effect she had on those who loved her, she lived a big life.”

- Dean Koontz talking about Trixie in “A Big Little Life”

A coupla weeks ago I mentioned “A Big Little Life”, the upcoming Dean Koontz book about life with retired Canine Companions for Independence service dog Trixie (“If You Only Read One Book This Year, Read This One”).

Over the weekend, I found this new two-minute Hyperion Books video where he reads from the book as some great pictures of Trixie flash by. If you can get through it without tearing up…well, you’re a lot tougher than me.

If you can’t wait (like I couldn’t),  there are advanced reading copies available – do a search. As the video says, the book will be released two weeks from tomorrow on Aug 25th.

I’ll go on record now and say I think this book is gonna be HUGE – certainly the dog book of the year, and will transcend that to quickly be number one on the bestseller lists. Only question will be how quickly it happens.

That pretty much says it all.

Oh, I could say a lot more, but you can check the reviews and descriptions for yourself. Here’s two:

Publisher’s Description

Reader’s Digest Top 5 Summer Book Pick: A Big Little Life

I will say this…

If you like dogs, you will love this book.

If you’re involved with Canine Companions for Independence in any way, even more so – you will recognize and relate to many things in the book.

And if your CCI connection is with or you’ve been to the Southwest Regional Center in Oceanside, CA, that’s really the ultimate hook – there are many references specific to SWR that will strongly register with you.

But, hey, even if none of the above is true, read it, anyway – it’s a tremendous read, and by the time you’re done, it’ll make you want to do all those things.

Trust me – just get it and read it.