My Perfect Companion

by William A. Horsburgh

My Perfect Companion is an inspiring and deeply personal memoir about one man’s determination to defy expectations and the unlikely friendship that changed his life. Living with Cerebral Palsy and Glaucoma in Northeast Fife, the author set out to do something many doubted he could manage: raise a lively Jack Russell terrier puppy on his own.

Over the course of two years, he shares the joys and challenges of life with Dobby — from sourcing the right dog and surviving the chaos of house training to the triumph, as a blind man on crutches, of teaching him how to walk at his side.

Along the way, he faces scepticism from those who questioned whether someone in his position should have a dog at all. Yet what emerges is a story of persistence and training, and a powerful testament to companionship, self-belief, and proving the doubters wrong.

Much more than a dog book, My Perfect Companion offers insight into the realities of living with disability, while celebrating the joy and transformation that can come from the most unexpected partnerships.