This is a wonderful story which features a young boy named David Hyler and the struggles he faces over the years into his adult years. We see him as a boy, loving a stuffed toy dog named Ginger and dealing with a harsh father. His mother understands David and encourages him but then tragedy strikes and she is taken away from him. He is placed in the care of his grandparents. His grandfather cares for him and is patient and kind but the grandmother doesn’t want him and life is only tolerable for David due to his grandfather’s love.

As a man David cares for German Shepherds and when an abused one named Katie comes into his life, in addition to a new wife named Hope, David has a chance to live the kind of life he longs for. He faces several challenges along the way, including training the abused Katie. When David learns the potential in Katie includes her being a therapy dog for patients and a reading dog as part of the K-9 Reading program, he is ecstatic. Then Pastor Fordham, who doesn’t understand the difference Katie is making in people’s lives, shoots down David’s idea to make a presentation to the church. Yet in God’s timing Pastor Fordham learns that God uses many different tools. As one person says it, Katie is “an angel with fur”.

This is a wholesome movie with prayer and God being mentioned, and we gladly award it our Dove Seal for ages twelve plus. There is a scene with a boy who has a bloody mouth from being hit by a baseball, and there are some sophisticated scenes involving the dog’s abuse and David’s parents arguing, but the themes of this movie are great: forgiveness, loyalty, second chances, and love. Catch this one!