A book release event for West Seneca author Joe Kirchmyer’s fourth book, “My Pet Connection: Inspirational ‘Tails’ of Adoption,” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at ProActive Sports Rehab, 1900 Ridge Road, West Seneca, in the Seneca Square Plaza.
The book features personal stories from more than 80 individuals and families who have adopted dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from Pet Connection Programs Inc., a nonprofit maternity animal shelter located in Marilla. Kirchmyer will be on hand at the event to sign copies of the book, published by NFB Publishing of Buffalo.
“The idea for the book came as a result of working the Pet Connection booth, with my wife Maureen, at the Erie County Fair for the past several years,” Kirchmyer said. “People who have adopted from the shelter would come up to us, share stories about their pets and show us photos. I thought it would be a nice idea to collect those heartwarming stories and publish them in a book as a unique fundraiser for the shelter.
“The book should be of interest to anyone who loves animals. Some of the stories will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and all will warm your heart.”
Volunteers from Pet Connection will also be on hand during the event to sell their very popular pet tote bags filled with treats for dogs or cats.
Cheektowaga artist Ken Newton, who painted the picture used on the cover of the book, will also be attending the event. He will raffle off the signed original painting, and a portion of the proceeds from the raffle and book sales will be donated to the shelter.
All transactions during the event will be cash or check only. The books are priced at $15.95 each (plus tax).
For those who cannot attend the event, “My Pet Connection: Inspirational ‘Tails’ of Adoption” is also available for purchase online at NFB Publishing, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. If purchasing on Amazon.com, please use the smile.amazon.com feature to benefit Pet Connection Programs Inc.
For more information on Pet Connection Programs Inc., please visit www.petconnectionprogramsinc.com.