Rubie, Are You My Dog?

About the Book

Arielle Ridley is a mother, grandmother, Montessori Teacher, and above all a truly devoted daughter. This is her riveting story of how she gradually learned about and accepted her mother’s decline into severe Alzheimer’s Disease, and her incredibly courageous and determined journey to care for her mother with dignity in a home setting. Arielle began with naïve ideas about how the court system would protect her and her mother, and learned how a family’s best intentions can be thwarted. The pitfalls of in-home care; the family’s struggle to provide humane, loving nurturance in the face of financial and emotional crises; and her own evolving emotions during her mother’s dehumanizing disease are intimately chronicled. Roberta: Are You My Mother? is a very personal “how to” book with no clinical pretensions. It is a must-read for anyone accepting the myriad challenges associated with loving and caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s during their declining years. Arielle’s second book, “Rubie and Arielle” is funny, inspirational, and instructional. It is a must-read for anyone who loves dogs, and especially anyone who knows about Cavelier King Charles Spaniels. The brave, sweet Rubie is a canine charmer who paves the way for other dogs to become Service Dogs. Arielle is a Montessori Directress, a mother, grandmother, and devoted animal lover. Her life - and this chronicle of Rubie - intertwines all of these passions. Rubie overcomes many health ordeals, and with Arielle’s love becomes healthy and able to comfort her beloved humans. Rubie attends school every day with the pre-school aged children who welcomed her as a tiny puppy at Arielle’s Montessori School. She regularly visits the aged and infirm, whom she comforts in her role as a Service Dog. Arielle and Rubie learn how to travel locally, with Rubie in Arielle’s bicycle basket, as well as internationally on all modes of travel, including planes. Rubie is welcomed at the finest restaurants, and accompanies Arielle everywhere. Arielle depicts her ground-breaking inquiries about how to travel with American Service Dogs to officials in foreign countries. Arielle researches the requirements necessary for officially designated Service Dogs to travel with their family or trainer and also how to transport necessary canine medications. Arielle’s first book, “Roberta: Are You My Mother? is a very personal book about the challenges associated with loving and caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, and Arielle’s determination to maintain home care during the final declining years.

About the Author

Arielle is a Montessori Directress, a mother, grandmother, and devoted animal lover. Her life - and this chronicle of Rubie - intertwines all of these passions. Rubie overcomes many health ordeals, and with Arielle’s love becomes healthy and able to comfort her beloved humans. Rubie attends school every day with the pre-school aged children who welcomed her as a tiny puppy at Arielle’s Montessori School. She regularly visits the aged and infirm, whom she comforts in her role as a Service Dog. Arielle and Rubie learn how to travel locally, with Rubie in Arielle’s bicycle basket, as well as internationally on all modes of travel, including planes. Rubie is welcomed at the finest restaurants, and accompanies Arielle everywhere. Arielle depicts her ground-breaking inquiries about how to travel with American Service Dogs to officials in foreign countries. Arielle researches the requirements necessary for officially designated Service Dogs to travel with their family or trainer and also how to transport necessary canine medications.