Harley's Harlequin Heart
More than anything, this is a book about unconditional love — a bond between a dedicated, caring woman and a loyal Great Dane. All at once, it is heartwarming, funny, informative, ok, a little scary and full of lessons for readers both young and old.
Harley’s Harlequin Heart by Christy Jaeger and told through the narration of Harley himself, shows where the power of love can overcome the adversity that’s part of every life journey, and teach us how, together with our furry friends, we can make the world a better place.
Harley, a 6-year-old, super smart, loving and expert-cuddling Great Dane, takes us along on all his adventures with his mom Christy — from growing up, being trained, playing, bonding with his mates and siblings, going to dog shows, and the regular routines of your typical canines. The book is overloaded with great photographs of Harley and Christy, taking readers well inside their world.
Then one day it happens. Harley tells us, “As she ran her hand down my left leg, she suddenly looked frightened. Repeatedly stroking, glancing at my face, back and forth, I could tell something was wrong.”
Harley is diagnosed with bone cancer. He hears Mom refer to something called a Rainbow Bridge — but Harley and Christy have other plans in mind for avoiding that walk anytime soon.
Fortunately, it appears there’s plenty of time to explore cures. “Mom told me that everyone has a little inner voice, a sixth sense, that warns them when something’s not right. Looking back, I’m glad she paid attention to her inner warning.”
Through surgery and chemotherapy, Harley pushes through. It isn’t easy and he tells us about his pain and fears. But chances of recovery look promising.
And Harley is quite the philosopher, teacher and keen observer of the human — and canine — condition: “We’ve learned that life events such as cancer, no matter how tragic or insurmountable, are part of life’s journey, and that it’s not events themselves that necessarily determine who we become, but how we handle them.”
Harley learns plenty himself, understanding that when someone has cancer, the entire family has cancer, and all the people affected and playing a part in the process form a connection and a love that is unbreakable.
Our author Christy Jaeger has loved pets from a young age and devoted her life to serving them and guiding others in their pet experiences. Her website, PawCrusaders.com, provides valuable lessons about everything from acquiring a pet to how to get the most out of the relationship.
She says, “This website was started so great dog care information and products could be accessed in one place, and humans could have fun in sharing in Paw Crusader adventures. Living life in the moment, giving their hearts unconditionally, motivated to love, eat, play and sleep, Paws reorient us to life’s simple pleasures and beauty. No matter what our problems are, being with our Paws puts things in perspective.”
The subject matter of Harley’s Harlequin Heart and his dealing with cancer might concern adults contemplating sharing this book with their children. But Jaeger, through Harley’s narrative, provides such a friendly, positive, uplifting perspective that there is so much more reason to embrace this book than not. And what’s more (spoiler alert), it helps greatly that the book has a happy ending.
As Jaeger notes, “The book imparts hope, courage, and compassion to all who read it — one small step in the Paw Crusader Team’s mission to make a difference in the human and animal worlds.”
Love conquers all. That message couldn’t be any clearer than in this wonderful book.
Harley’s Harlequin Heart is available for purchase here, where every purchase and donation helps canine causes.
Christy Jaeger, MSN, has always been passionate about animals. Her mother would often find her sound asleep with her Weimaraner puppy Sultan in the leaf collection box under the family’s huge maple tree. She could also be found building brick enclosures for her guinea pig Suzie Q, or walking Sophie, her snow white goat, around their Australian bush average. Christy’s passion for animals led her to study veterinary science in America. Wanting more time with her Great Danes, she changed her studies to human science, graduating from a nurse practitioner program.
A dog breeder, dog show competitor and canine researcher, Christy is the founder of Pawcrusaders.com, a centralized canine database and dog community designed so people can learn, have fun, and access canine resources and products that promise healthy dog care and strengthen the human/canine bond.
Her hope is that this helps others cope with tragedy, remember how precious life is and know that with love and faith, we can make our world a better place together.
