A former Espanola teacher and her daughter have written a series of children’s books based on their late dog, Bandit. Shelley Wikiruk said This is Bandit chronicles the life of their three-year-old rescue dog. “Bandit was a dog we adopted who was homeless. The 10-book series tells the story of each year of his life,” she said. “It goes right from him being homeless to him being adopted. It goes from his leg being amputated to him meeting his furr-ever family. And the final book details up until he crosses the rainbow bridge.” Wikiruk’s daughter, Sarah Belanger, a registered veterinary technician, was in school when Bandit was adopted. “At the same time, she was working at a Sudbury animal hospital, and this dog came in with a severe injury. He still had his right front leg at the time,” Wikiruk said. “He needed a family. Sarah begged us to bring him home. I said ‘Let us bring him home and see how it goes.’” The family already had two other adopted pets — a cat and a dog. “Bandit came home and fit into the family beautifully. There was no doubt about it, and we just had to keep him,” Wikiruk said. “He lasted with us for 10 years.” Wikiruk recommends the series for children aged five and up. Since retiring, she has visited Rainbow District School Board schools to read to students. “The children were intrigued by this story. They were interested and asked a lot of questions,” she said. Wikiruk self-published the books through Amazon and printed 100 sets with Espanola’s OJ Graphix. “They printed vibrant photos, vibrant books, and we are very happy with them,” she said. Since launching in December, she has sold 45 sets.
