<P> Bailey wakes up once again as a German shepherd. Bailey, who realizes that he is now a girl, is picked out and named Ellie by a police officer, named Jakob, and trained to be a search - and - rescue dog . Jakob and Ellie find a kidnapped girl but while getting the man into custody he shoots Jakob, injuring him so that he can longer be a police man . </P> <P> Ellie then gets put into the care of one of Jakob's colleagues, Maya . After passing of old age, he is reborn but this time as a black lab with Wendi, his new owner, is ecstatic with her new pet (whom she names Bear), but she is unable to keep him because of a no - pet rule in her apartment building . Instead, she gives him to her mother, who is dating an alcoholic . The mother's boyfriend, fed up with the dog upon receiving a notice that he needs to provide better living conditions, ditches him on a country road . Bear recognizes his surroundings, having been there before with Ethan . Using the skills he learned as Ellie, Bear is able to trail the scent of one of the farm's animals to the Farm, where Ethan lives . Ethan, now an elderly man, decides to keep Bear, who he renames Buddy, and marries Hannah . </P> <P> Publishers Weekly called it "a tail - wagging three hanky boo - hooer" and "delightful ." The Long Beach Post praised Cameron's ability to get inside a dog's psyche . It was also a reader recommendation in Christian Science Monitor . However, The Washington Post criticized Cameron for "exploiting dogs' selflessness for his own mawkish ends ." </P> <P> The book was followed up by a sequel, A Dog's Journey . Library Journal called it a "multi-hanky read". </P>

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