By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Dan Ferguson, pastor of Eastmoor United Methodist Church in 2014 and 2015, has written a book he hopes will comfort people who have lost dogs.

“Doggy Heaven: Lessons Peaches Teaches” was written after Ferguson and his wife moved to a new home after losing their two beloved family dogs. No more dogs, he and his wife agreed.

Moving was stressful enough without training a puppy, and they still were grieving over their loss.

Despite Dan and his wife’s decision, a feisty Maltipoo named Peaches came into their lives.

“The story is, I didn’t want this dog, and it ended up being the dog that came to me more than anyone else in the family,” he said. Caring for Peaches was not without its challenges, however

“We tried very hard to find a groomer in Wichita and didn’t find one to our satisfaction,” Ferguson recalled. “We took her back to Autumn Hanson for grooming. She had a lot of patience with her.”

The book has a conversational tone and a good dose of humor color in the many lessons Peaches taught him.

Ferguson, who has a doctorate in pastoral counseling and specializes in grief and bereavement, compassionately presents reassurance to those who mourn the loss of a dog by providing hope and comfort through evidence of a dog heaven.

The Fergusons, who have retied four times, now live in northwest Wichita. He came out of retirement to serve Mount Hope United Methodist Church.

“Doggie Heaven: Lessons Peaches Teaches” is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Its list price is $29.