Book excerpt: This fascinating book puts the spotlight on working dogs — those heroic canines who have found ways to give back more than sloppy kisses and happy snuggles. The courageous dogs you will meet include: Keno, a yellow Lab, who rescued a lift operator buried in an avalanche. Kobi, a beloved and intelligent family pet with an exceptional sense of smell, who became one of the most famous cancer-sniffing dogs in the world. Tuffy, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, who served as a grief counselor with Dr. Karla Rose during the horrible days following the Virginia Tech shootings. Abdul, the first service dog for people with mobility impairments, who was trained by Bonnie Bergin and Kerrill Knaus-Hardy and paved the way for people with disabilities to be independent. Anna, a German shepherd, who damaged her lungs searching through the wreckage at Ground Zero after 9/11 and inspired Sarah Atlas to found an assistance program for volunteer search-and-rescue dog handlers. Skidboot, the world-famous Texas blue heeler, who performed for Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, and David Letterman and on Animal Planet (with cowboy and entertainer David Hartwig) but started life as an abandoned puppy.