Rubie, Are You My Dog?

By Arielle Ridley

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 mothers decline into severe Alzheimers Disease, and her incredibly courageous and determined journey to care for her mother with dignity in a home setting.

Arielle began with nave ideas about how the court system would protect her and her mother, and learned how a familys best intentions can be thwarted. The pitfalls of in-home care; the familys struggle to provide humane, loving nurturance in the face of financial and emotional crises; and her own evolving emotions during her mothers 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 Alzheimers during their declining years.


Arielles 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 Arielles 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 Arielles 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 Arielles 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.

Arielles 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 Alzheimers, and Arielles determination to maintain home care during the final declining years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493165513

Arielle Ridley

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.

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Copyright © 2014 by Arielle Ridley.

Photo by Peter Henricks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 01/22/2014

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In Memoriam

Rubie Ridley

June 2000—June 2013

She’s old now, my Rubie, just like my mother was. She came after the paws of Goldy and Bongo had left us. Rubie is ten years old, which is very old for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

I was recovering from surgery and couldn’t teach, so I spent a lot of time on the computer. That’s how I found Rubie. She was living in Boston. From the first moment I saw her face in the email, I knew we were meant to be a pair. It’s like seeing your baby for the first time; you just know that you are part of each other. Love!

I’ve always been with dogs, starting on my twelfth birthday. Then, suddenly at fifty-one, I was by myself. I had vowed not to get another dog. It’s just too hard to get over the loss. My brother Vick kept at me though. Sister, you’re not walking or going to the beach, and you’re lonely. When I found Rubie, I couldn’t afford to buy her, so my brother helped me pay for her. My poor brother is the only person Rubie is not close to!

Finally, all her shots were done and her airplane reservations were made. It was November, and Rubie was five months old. My best friend Peter and I drove to the San Francisco Airport at night to pick her up. The pilot carried her out in a very small carrier. She had taken two flights, and it took her eleven hours to get here. Peter told me to open the carrier so she would see me first and bond with me. No fear of that, however! I opened the door, and she ran out and jumped onto my shoulder, where she rode for thirty days!

I hardly had a chance to look at her as we drove to Peter’s apartment in Pacifica. She