Philip Gonzalez survived Viet Nam duty; he miraculously missed being on a military transport plane that crashed at takeoff; he lived through an industrial accident that cost him the use of his right arm and left him with recurrent headaches. I think God intended him to live because He had important plans for Philip.

Following the accident, Philip, who had always been an active man, slumped into depression, feeling that he had no reason to live. A friend and neighbor, Sheilah Harris, cajoled and bullied Philip into getting a dog, sensing that having responsibility for the life of another living creature would give Philip the will to live. When they arrived at the animal shelter, Philip wanted a Doberman; Ginny had other ideas. The attendant talked Philip into taking Ginny for a walk around the block, a "test drive."

"We'd gone only about half a block when she stopped in her tracks. I'd just been dragging myself along, not even bothering to pay attention to her. I was eager to get this walk over with and get back to the Doberman, so when she stopped, I tugged impatiently at her leash, thinking that she was wasting my time hanging around doggy-style at some tempting fire hydrant or telephone pole.

But when I looked down at her I saw that she wasn't sniffing at anything. She was just sitting there on the sidewalk, looking up at me. Our eyes met, and when they did I felt a physical jolt, like a connection being made. A spark leaped between us as though there were electrical wires leading from her to me. I wasn't able to take my eyes off her face; I could swear she smiled at me..."