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Newspaper
Articles
Did
you know Pete was adopted by the Verville's? Pete was first found
in Biddeford, Maine, and brought to a shelter. It's only then that
Jim and Linda Verville found and quickly fell in love with the lovable
puppy we now know as Pete!
Below are all articles that were printed in the local papers about
Pete and his amazing story:
 An
underdog and the kids who love him
Sanford News - Thursday, January 30th, 2003
The story of Pete
By Angeljean Chiaramida
SANFORD - Few people would imagine a blind and deaf dog could be
a role model and mentor to children throughout Maine. That is the
case, however, when it comes to Pete, a nine-year-old Australian
Shepard who recently woofed his way into the hearts of the kids
at Sanford's Edison Elementary School.
Pete's
plight, or rather Pete's biography "For Pete's Sake," came to the
attention of the people of Maine by the book's author, Linda Verville.
Verville adopted the pup from the West Kennebunk Animal Welfare
Society when he was only five months old. At the time, Verville
knew Pete had been born blind, but his deafness became apparent
only after he'd moved into Verville's Saco home. The thought of
not keeping him never crossed her mind though, for Pete's persistence
and ability to adapt became a life lesson for her.
"I'm not really a writer," Verville said, "but Pete gives me inspiration."
Pete provides so inspiration for Verville and the book's illustrator,
Melissa Provencher, that a second book about Pete is in the works.
The person who drew Edison's teachers and Parent Teacher Group to
the book was the school's volunteer librarian Kay Meyerhoff.
"I first saw the book on a report on Channel 13's news," said Meyerhoff,
"I sent an e-mail to Linda to ask about the cost of having her come
here with the dogs. I ran the book and its workbook by the teachers,
who really liked them.  The
workbook is designed to encourage kids to believe in themselves,
reach for the stars and do great things. What we all really love
about Linda's presentation is after she reads the book to the kids,
she's going to stress the concept of trust and the issue of disabilities.
She even does demonstration siwhtthe kids. When our PRG offered
to pay the cost of having Verville come, we made the arrangements."
Once the kids knew Pete was on his way, they decided to do something
nice for other orphaned animals. They decided to start collecting
supplies for the West Kennebunk Animal Welfare Shelter so the animals
there can have everything they will need. Pet food and supplies
will be collected throughout the year in a box in the Library, said
Meyerhoff, then sent to the shelter. |
"I think that's wonderful," said Provencher. "These children came
up with that idea all by themselves. No one told them they should
do that."
Edison Elementary School's 130 first through sixth grade student-philanthropists
gathered in the school's cafeteria on Jan. 22 to meet Verville,
Provencher, Pete and Pete's doggie-buddy, Chelsea.
It was obvious Pete's story was already a well-loved dog tail, oops,
dog tale.
"When I wrote this book," Verville said, "I dedicated it too those
who root for the underdog."
As she began to read the book, which tells of Pete's first days
and challenges at Verville's home, the room became very quiet -
except for the occasional bark of acknowledgment form Pete, of course.
"If you think you can't you're right," read Verville, "If you think
you can, you're right. What do you think?"
The concept of not giving-up or giving-in is present throughout
Pete's story.
"Pete's blind and he's deaf, but think of all the great things he's
done," Verville said, "That's what he's trying to teach you… If
there's something you want to do, but can't do it very well - like
a subject in school or a sport maybe - keep trying and you'll get
there."
Watching a little blond pixie dressed in pink crawl about with her
eyes closed and nose poised delicately upward trying to sniff out
a few radar waves to guide her, one got the impression Pete had
made his point.
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For
the Love of Pete
By Grace Murphy
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
SACO- Linda
Verville's Australian shepard Pete is the star of a children's book
and has his own lecture circuit at schools and bookstores throughout
Cumberland and York counties.
But he
can't see the children who gather around him as Verville reads aloud
the story of how a deaf and blind dog makes his way in the world.
And he
can't hear the questions children ask after reading the book, like
if Pete is happy.
Verville,
a former teacher, said she wrote the book "For Pete's Sake!" after
she realized Pete's story could teach children about independence,
self-confidence and appreciation of diversity.
The story is told from the point of view of Verville's dog Chelsea,
a shepherd/husky mix who at first does not understand why Pete does
not act like other dogs.
Throughout the course of the book, Chelsea wonders why Pete doesn't
mind like other dogs, or sleep through the night, and why he bumps
into things.
Eventually, Chelsea learns about Pete's disabilities and grows to
admire the qualities that make him different from other dogs.
She realizes that the reason he accomplishes so much is because
he can't hear people telling him all of the things he's unable to
do.
"He is a popular character because he is real and his accomplishments
are amazing," Verville said. "Despite his severe disabilities, he
is a very good-natured and just a happy guy."
Verville hooked up with Biddeford illustrator Melissa Pelletier
after going to Brown Fox Printing in Saco to get an estimate of
publishing costs. Pelletier works at the shop, and her artwork on
the walls interested Verville.
Pelletier said she was initially hesitant about the project, since
the sketch work was so different from her usual photo-realistic
style.
After spending time with Verville, Chelsea and Pete, she too saw
the possibilities in Pete's story.
She tried to capture his style of walking, with feet lifted high
and nose in the air.
"He looks like he's prancing, like a horse. It's so joyful," she
said.
The story and illustrations describe many of the challenges that
Pete created for his new family after his adoption eight years ago.
He couldn't tell the difference between night and day and wanted
to play while others are sleeping.
He relied heavily on his sense of smell, poking his nose in a sink
full of dishes, a pot of spaghetti sauce, and the laundry basket.
With special training, Pete now knows simple touch commands. A tap
on the side means he did something well. If Verville wants him to
follow her, she taps him under the chin. And if he's naughty, she
shakes the back of his neck like his mother would.
Since the book's publication in September, Verville and Pelletier,
along with the dogs, have appeared at bookshops and schools. The
two created a workbook containing activities for students to go
along with the book. The books are also sold to schools that want
to use it as a fund-raiser.
"Schools are using the book to instill confidence in their students,
encourage them to overcome challenges and appreciate the differences
in others," Verville said.
Verville believes Pete's particular handicaps are common in his
breed, and she encourages others to consider providing foster or
permanent homes for deaf or blind dogs.
She also donates money from book sales to the West Kennebunk Animal
Welfare Society, where she got Pete.
More information about the book and the dogs is available online
at www.readforpetessake.com.
A sequel is in the works, to help answer some of the frequent questions
Verville gets from children.
The most frequently asked question is how Pete can get around if
he can't see or hear.
"You never think of an animal with a disability. It's sad at first,
but when you see what kind of a life he has, then you realize he's
happy," Verville said.
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 Getting
to Know the Place -
A 4-month-old Dalmation Puppy was found wandering the streets of
Biddeford last Friday makes its way around the Kennebunk Animal
Shelter Monday. Animal Control Officer Bruce Martin is seeking information
on the puppy's owners because the puppy, which is deaf and blind,
was abandoned. The puppy was reported doing well this morning, and
will soon be put up for adoption. Shelter officials say the puppy
would do fine in a family that could care for its special needs.
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Pete
finds a home, And a ray of hope
- Born blind, but surgery is an option- 
By Eric Wicklund - Journal Tribune Staff Writer
As far as personalities
go, Pete isn't any different from most puppies his age. The 10-month-old
dalmatian loves to chew things, he loves to run around outside,
and he's a holy terror when Jim and Linda Verville of Biddeford
come home after a long day at work.
Pete, named after the "Little Rascals" pet, is also blind. And deaf.
"Life has become much more interesting since he's come around,"
says Jim, who, with his wife, adopted the puppy from the Animal
Welfare Society's West Kennebunk Animal shelter last October. "But
we'd definitely do it all over again."
According to Director Denise Marsolais, dalmatians are currently
all the rage, and therein lies the problem. Owners resort to inbreeding
to try to produce the perfect animal, and often end up with puppies
with birth defects. The shelter, she says, has been the recipient
of a couple of deaf dalmatians in the past year alone.
The Vervilles, who live on Kennedy Avenue, first learned of Pete
last August, when they read a Journal Tribune story about the puppy
who'd been passed on to several different owners before a Biddeford
teenager, who'd taken him in and realized he was too much for her,
dropped him off at Saco's police station. The pup then went to the
West Kennebunk shelter, where officials confirmed his handicaps
(he can see light, but just barely) and put out the call for a caring
family.
"My wife has an extremely sensitive spot for all animals," Jim said.
"I guess I do, too. We went down (to Kennebunk) and saw him, and
that was it for both of us."
Actually, Jim says now, it was just the beginning.
In the five months Pete has been with the Vervilles, both he and
his owners had to learn a lot. Pete has pretty much mastered the
layout of the house (especially stairs), learned where and how to
go the to the bathroom, and is figuring out what the food and water
dishes do. But the Vervilles have had to contend with a puppy who
can't tell night from day - and sometimes wants to get up and play
in the dead of night - and who can't be disciplined with a squirt
from a water bottle because he likes it too much.
Jim says he and his wife talk to Pete as they would any dog, but
they use hand contact to get the message across. A hand on the scruff
of the neck, Jim says, will stop a rambunctious Pete from biting.
Other hand signals, Jim says, are slowly catching on.
And they have help. The Vervilles' 3-year-old shepherd-husky, Chelsea,
first ran away to Linda's parents' house down the street rather
then deal with Pete, but now Jim says she has become a mother of
sorts. She guides him towards the house when the two are outside
playing and keeping him in a relatively strait line when Jim and
Linda take the two for walks late at night.
Jim says he's also learned that Pete's sense of smell is very keen.
The puppy knows when someone has entered the house, and Jim says
he can never open the refrigerator door without having company.
Pete is currently housed in a large crate during the day, with Linda,
a teacher, and Jim, an account executive for a computer telephone
company, checking on him whenever they can. Jim has built a 17-foot-by-30-foot
pen in the backyard for the puppy, and hopes to allow Pete to have
the run of the house someday.
They're also looking into a Massachusetts animal clinic that may
be able to transplant a pair of healthy corneas for Pete's damaged
ones, an operation that could restore some of the puppy's sight.
The Vervilles expect to have Pete examined by the clinic soon, and
if an operation is possible, Jim says the Kennebunk Animal Shelter
and the Mann Memorial Clinic have offered to help raise a few thousand
dollars.
"He's an exceptionally smart dog who just needs a break," Jim says
of Pete. "He really is just a little guy inside."
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 "For
Pete's Sake" tells the story of deaf, blind and slow dog
- The children's book also sends the message that we shouldn't judge
others -
By Lewis J. Beilmann III Editor - Courier
How would others dogs treat you if you were a blind, funny-looking,
mentally handicapped Australian Shepherd/Dalmatian mix?
Would their taunts torment you?
Would their ridicule make you incapable of rising above your disabilities
to lead a normal life?
Would you roll over and play dead, all the while wishing you had
never been born into this cruel world?
Not if you were deaf.
OK, so now you know the surprise ending to Saco resident Linda Verville's
first children's book, "For Pete's Sake," which she describes as
an allegory based on the life of her eight-year-old dog Pete.
She said her blind, deaf and slow dog has led a somewhat normal
life "because he couldn't hear people tell him he wouldn't amount
to anything."
The book is meant to teach children that people shouldn't be judged
by their disabilities and that people who have disabilities can
overcome them if they try hard enough and don't listen to life's
naysayers.
Verville said the book has been a "labor of love" but completing
it was not always easy.
"It hasn't been easy with Pete," she said laughing. "He acts like
a puppy and is always into things. Sometimes my husband, Jim, will
complain - but I always say, 'Don't say anything, someday he's going
to make us rich.'
"After one of our discussions, I decided I should write the book.
I wanted people to know Pete's story - I think it's inspirational."
Verville, who said writing has never come easy to her, threw out
the story once because she didn't believe anyone would want to read
it.
"But I felt I owed it to Pete," she said. "I picked it up again.
I thought, 'If it fails, at least I tried.'"
Despite her joking comment about he books making her wealthy, Verville
doesn't expect to get rich off the book.
"I'm not trying to get a big publisher", says Verville, who taught
for five years in Westbrook. "I'm doing it on my own. I'm going
to try to sell it locally. I think it could work really well in
schools as a teaching aid - I might do a workbook to go along with
it that would have crossword puzzles and word-search games. I think
teachers and parents will love it."
Verville plans to print approximately 2000 copies at Brown Fox Printing
in Saco. The choice to use that small, local printer proved fortuitous
to the artistic vision of the book.
Biddeford artist Melissa Pelletier, the book's illustrator, credits
Verville's choice to use Brown Fox with sparking their collaboration.
"My brother owns the printing shop and I help out there," Pelletier
said. "He has some of my artwork decorating the halls in the shop
and Linda started looking and them and said 'I should get her to
do the illustrations.'"
Pelletier said her brother put Verville in contact with her, and
Verville asked her to illustrate the book.
"I had never published an entire book before," said Pelletier, who
has had illustrations published in the Boston Globe and Lighthouse
Digest. "I thought the story was great and it has a wonderful message
- plus Linda's a wonderful person."
The goal of using the book as an educational guide also appealed
to Pelletier.
"I hope someday we're able to do presentations throughout Maine,"
Pelletier said. "I think the message that people who have disabilities
can do whatever they want if they set their minds to something is
an important one."
If Verville's recent book presentation at Saco's Fairfield School
is an indicator, Pelletier's hope may soon be realized.
"There were about 125 kids there," Verville said. "Linda had Pete
and Chelsea [Verville's other dog, which also figures prominently
in the book] with her and the children were mesmerized. She gave
an hour-long presentation and during the activities part of the
presentation, whenever she asked a question, all the kids hands
went up."
Verville said she hopes to do more presentations like the one she
gave at Fairfield School, but, even if she doesn't get that opportunity,
she will look back at the creation of the book with fondness.
"Melissa and I were just so green," she said. "I thought, 'We don't'
know what we're doing, but let's do it anyway. We did it for the
fun of it and we'll have to wait and see what happens later."
People interested in learning more about "For Pete's Sake" can visit
www.readforpetessake.com.
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Blind
dog an inspiration to local children's author
By
Amy Bowler 
Staff Writer
When Linda Verville saw a story about the Kennebunk Animal Welfare
Society in a local paper featuring a blind and deaf Australian shepherd,
she thought she might be able to provide a good home for the dog.
"I felt terrible for him. I figured someone might adopt him and
then he was in the paper again and I couldn't stand it," Verville
said.
Verville, a Biddeford resident, took her own dog, a shepherd and
husky mix named Chelsea, to the shelter to meet the new dog. She
said the dogs "romped around" together and she ended up bringing
the new dog, Pete, home.
The relationship between Pete and Chelsea prompted Verville to write
a children's book entitled "For Pete's Sake."
"When they were puppies, Pete was 'Velcroed' to Chelsea's side.
"They'd lay in the same tiny bed, walk around together. At dinner
time Chelsea would step away and let Pete eat first."
Verville said Chelsea still looks after Pete, stopping him if he
gets too close to the woods in their backyard.
"Watching them bond over the years has been very inspiring. I wanted
to share their message," Verville said.
While checking out how much it would cost to print the book at Brown
Fox Printing, Verville was introduced to the illustrator Melissa
Pelletier.
"I usually do photo realistic work," said Pelletier. Verville convinced
her to try illustrating her book. "So I tried drawing cartoons and
it worked out very well."
The two now bring Chelsea and Pete to schools, daycare centers and
bookstores - like Nonesuch books in Saco where they were Nov. 23,
signing books and letting people meet the dogs.
"We built giving back to the community into our business plan,"
Verville said. "It's the part we really enjoy."
Until recently, Verville said she wasn't aware that many other dogs
were afflicted by problems similar to Pete's. She said certain breeds
of dogs, particularly Australian shepherds and great danes are prone
to blindness and deafness.
"I thought I was the only one but there are a lot out there," Verville
said. "These dogs need special homes."
While Verville and Pelletier and working to promote their book beyond
the local area, they are also considering future books. Verville
said she gets a lot of questions about how Pete manages to get around,
and plans to write the next book about that issue. They also want
to get the message out about dogs with special needs and the fact
they need homes too.
"They have a lot of love and they're very affectionate," Verville
said. "I think he understands that we saved him."
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 Act
of kindness turns into "underdog story"
By Jennifer Higgins Hagan
Staff writer
KENNEBUNKPORT - Dedicated to "All those who root for the underdog,"
local author Linda Verville and artist Melissa Pelletier where a
hit at Graves Memorial Library Thursday night reading their children's
story called "For Pete's Sake" which is about a dog who is blind
and deaf.
Verville, 36 and Pelletier, 32, visited the library with the main
characters of the story, Verville's dogs Pete, the title character
who is blind and deaf, and Chelsea.
Verville and her husband, Jim, adopted Pete from the Animal Welfare
Society nine years ago.
"We felt sorry for him," Verville said. But the Vervilles, who already
had Chelsea decided to adopt Pete, regardless of the extra work
they knew he would entail. According to Verville, the Animal Welfare
Society had asked for a family with another dog as a companion for
Pete and for a family without children. Verville said she knew the
arrangement with Pete and was going to work when she saw how naturally
Pete and Chelsea bonded.
While the story is about Pete and his progress in the Verville home,
she said the story is also meant to encourage children to appreciate
differences in themselves and others.
"The main point is for children to believe in themselves," Verville
said. Verville said she thought that Pete was a good vehicle for
this message because children respond well to animals.
"Children never think of animals as having disabilities," she said.
Verville will often bring Pete and Chelsea to classrooms and signings
because they give children something to see and touch. Verville
said she's had the story in mind for a long time, but once she wrote
it last year half of the story ended up in the trash can while the
other half she tucked away. After a lot of encouragement, Verville
decide to give it another try.
Verville met Pelletier at Brown Fox Printing when she went to inquire
about the cost of printing the book. According to Verville, Pelletier's
artwork was displayed on the walls and she was very impressed. Although
Pelletier was resistant to illustrating at first, the two decided
to go into the project together.
Pelletier said she was reluctant because is not usually an illustrator
and had several other projects in the works. But when Verville told
her she was planning to turn the story into an educational program,
Pelletier said she thought it was time to try it out. "If anything,
this would be the type of project that I would get involved in,"
she said. "It's a giving-back-to-the-community type of project and
those are near and dear to my heart."
Pelletier said she drew the illustrations mostly from photographs
of the two dogs, but tried to capture the way Pete moves because
he moves differently then most dogs.
"I really wanted to capture what the dogs were really like. We didn't
want them to look like cartoons," she said.
"That was my first and last stop for printing," Verville said.
In addition to book signings Verville and Pelletier have been visiting
classrooms with the dogs.
"Teachers and students love to have something different come through
the doors," Verville said, adding that she thought it was a natural
step to bring the message into classrooms.
Pete is an Australian shepherd and these disabilities seem to be
prominent in that breed, Verville said.
"My eyes have been opened to a major problem," Verville said.
Verville and Pelletier have plans in the works to collaborate on
another project. According to Verville, she often gets asked questions
about how Pete moves and functions that she would like to use as
a premise for the next book.
At Graves Memorial Library reading, 20 people, many of them adults,
clustered around to hear the story. After the story, people fired
off questions about how Verville wrote the book and about Pete.
Because Pete cannot hear admonitions or praise, the Vervilles have
established other means of communication. When Pete has done something
bad, Verville said she and her husband will grab him by the scruff
of the neck, when he does something good he gets a pat on the side,
and when he's being asked to "come here" he gets a touch under the
chin.
"With Pete, do you sometimes forget that he can't hear?" Julia Paige,
8, of Kennebunkport asked.
"All the time," Verville responded, adding that she often talks
to Pete. Verville said sometimes her husband will accidentally trip
over the dog. "You're the one that can see," Verville said she gently
reminds him.
Paige said she enjoyed the story because it's interesting that a
blind and deaf dog can do so much when you think he couldn't."
Paige said she learned that people can still have fun with a dog
regardless of its disabilities.
Kennebunk resident Ronette Stoddard said she was touched by the
story.
"To me it's an example of the kind of spiritual opening that people
need and realizing that souls are not the exclusive domain of human
beings," she said.
"I'm amazed at how everyone's responded to the story and how much
it affects people when they read it," Pelletier said. "I never expected
that type of response."
Verville said $25 from each of their appearances are being donated
to the Animal Welfare Society. So far $300 in donations and books
have been given, she said. Pelletier said that 1,100 books have
been sold.
The book is priced at $7.95 and workbooks are available for $5.95.
The books are available at the Animal Welfare Society, the Kennebunk
Book Port, Border's Books in South Portland, and other local businesses.
Verville is also looking for assistance to market the book on a
national level.
Verville and Pelletier will appear at the West Kennebunk Animal
Welfare Society Dec. 14 from 12 to 3 p.m. and at Border's Books
on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m.
For more information, check out the web site www.readforpetessake.com.
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