Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes are a married couple who were both injured during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Their debut picture book Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship is based on Jessica’s real life partnership with her service dog Rescue, who joined their family in 2014 and was named ASPCA Dog of the Year in 2017. Join Jessica, Patrick, and Rescue for an inspiring evening discussion and book signing.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rescue thought he’d grow up to be a Seeing Eye dog — it’s the family business, after all. When he gets the news that he’s better suited to being a service dog, he’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets Jessica, a girl whose life is turning out differently than the way she'd imagined it, too. Now Jessica needs Rescue by her side to help her accomplish everyday tasks. And it turns out that Rescue can help Jessica see after all: a way forward, together, one step at a time. An endnote from the authors tells more about the training and extraordinary abilities of service dogs, particularly their real-life best friend and black lab, Rescue.