<b>The true heartwarming story of a lost dog's journey and a family's furious search to find him before it is too late.</b><br><br>On Saturday, October 10, 1998, Fielding Marshall was hiking on the Appalachian Trail near Catawba, Virginia, when his dog, a six-year-old golden retriever named Gonker, bolted into the woods, and vanished. Fielding was crushed. Gonker had helped him through one of the most difficult times in his life, and now Gonker was gone. To make matters worse, Gonker had Addison's disease, and Fielding knew that if he could not find him in time to give him his medication, Gonker would die.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>In the ensuing days and weeks, Fielding's family rallied around him and did their best to keep hope alive, pouring themselves into the search for the beloved dog. Fielding and his father John were dispatched to the field with the family's other dog Oli in tow. Combing the trails for days on end, Fielding and his father bonded unlike they ever had before. From across the country Fielding's sister, Paton, called him and talk him through some of his lowest moments. At home Virginia, Fielding's mother, set up a command center. With a map splayed on the table and a phonebook at her side, she contacted animal shelters, police precincts, general stores, community centers, newspapers, and radio stations in a tireless campaign to spread the word. At first, a small local paper ran a piece about Gonker, but then the story was picked up by the AP and went national. Tips and support began to pour in from across the country. Still, it seemed bleak. With profound love for each other, The Marshalls comforted each other and prepared for the worst. Then Gonker was spotted on the Appalachian trail more than a hundred miles due north from where he got lost. Fielding leapt in his car to be reunited with his dog. A little worse for the wear, but actually in relatively good shape, Gonker sprinted into Fielding's arms upon seeing him. The two returned home together, and in the process of finding Gonker the family stumbled upon something else--their profound love and support for one another.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>With a big heart, an intelligent humor, and a deft touch, Pauls Toutonghi tells the true tale of loss, love, and resilience.<i>Dog Gone</i> is by turns a story about how a family coalesces in a crisis, how we often discover our best selves in the roles we play for others, and how hope and help sometimes come from the most unlikely places.