ohmidog!

Jennifer Carle was signing copies of her new book “Seeing Eye Human” at the Barnes & Noble in Whitemarsh Saturday — a noble act when you consider that Carle’s not making a penny: All proceeds from the sale of the book are going to the Maryland SPCA.
That’s where Carle adopted her black lab mix, Winn (short for Winsome), in 1994.
Winn quickly proved herself to be a handful, chowing down on Carle’s couch, instilling fear in other other dogs, biting a neighbor and causing a ruckus during obedience class.

But, as the years passed, a funny thing happened, the overprotective dog, as she aged, got arthritic, and blind and deaf, and she and her family reversed roles: The overprotective dog came to need protection and, in providing it, Carle learned a little about dogs, humans and life.

Winn died a year ago this Friday.

Published by Tate Publishing, “Seeing Eye Human” was released this summer.  Carle — a longtime supporter of the Maryland SPCA – worked as a psychologist before raising two children and going to work in her husband’s medical practice in Towson, where the family also lives.

She will also be appearing at Dogfest 2008, the Humane Society of Baltimore County’s big fundraising event at Shawan Downs on Oct. 4.

In another fundraising project for the SPCA, Carle is designing an ice cream flavor — the contents yet to be determined — which will be called Paw Prints. Twenty percent of its sales, at Lee’s Ice Cream in Towson, will go the Maryland SPCA.

“Seeing Eye Human,” which sells for $10.99, is available at area Barnes & Nobles, as well as The Book Escape, Lucky Lucy’s Canine Cafe, Dogma and other local stores.