* 2022 Webster Award Finalist *
When the two met, chaos commenced.
In a sleepy town in Virginia, Heidi Speece was a high school teacher in search of something new.
The overachiever with a penchant for “to do” lists had grown bored with life. She knew she needed a change, and she found it
when she rescued Ernie Bert — a mischievous golden retriever living on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey.
Heidi thought things would calm down after the elaborate rescue mission that covered two continents, four states, and five thousand miles to save the Turkey Dog. She was wrong. Within his first week in America, Ernie Bert committed a felony, became a social media star, and turned his human’s world upside down. Along with Heidi’s eccentric mother and a host of other colorful characters, the self-proclaimed perfectionist quickly lost control of the life
she had so carefully planned.
Join along on this true story and madcap adventure as human and dog learn to navigate life together,
and the teacher ends up learning the greatest lesson of all.
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What is a Turkey Dog?
Turkey dogs are former street dogs that have been rescued from Turkey. Most of the time, these canines are left to fend for themselves until a kind soul rescues them. They roam in packs on the Turkish streets or in the forests and junkyards. Once the lucky few find shelter, several rescue organizations throughout the nation fly them to America. Sadly, the golden retriever is one of the breeds that is most often abandoned. As in America, they are viewed as status symbols, but it does not take long before their owners realize that the cute balls of fluff require a lot of hard work. Discouraged by this, many abandon their goldens, thus leaving thousands homeless and left to wander in search of safety. Due to their gentle nature, they cannot defend themselves like other breeds might and often perish from starvation, injury, abuse, or illness.