Made with Baronfig is a series where we shine a light on the things our community creates—from everyday thinking to once-in-a-lifetime projects. If you've made something with Baronfig, we'd love to hear about it.

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Ace's Impact

by Chris Toffolo

Writing a children's book had always been a dream of mine, but neither idea nor inspiration struck. However, in June 2018, my future wife Meg and I had just moved in together and were looking to foster a dog.

This experience led us to Ace, a senior pit bull. Meg had seen a posting about him on social media, and once we were settled in, she set up a meeting. I wasn't keen on taking care of an older dog, but I trusted Meg, and we went for it. 

As foster parents, we understood we weren't his final destination, and we were charged with taking him around to various Long Island vets to try and find a remedy for his ailments. Every time the conversation came up about finding Ace another home, our hearts would start to break. We knew we would eventually fail as foster parents and adopt him—we just needed to figure out his medical issues first.

Across the six months we had him, Ace was loved. We'd play with him, take him on long walks, and drive him all over Long Island to specialized veterinarians. Unfortunately, he became very sick, and Meg and I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of our lives. Just before he passed, we officially adopted him. Ace left our world as part of our family, but he was part of it from the moment we met him. 

To cope with his loss, Meg started volunteering at a local dog rescue, and I took to writing as I always do in difficult times, specifically to help comfort her in this great loss.

The whole experience inspired me, and it ultimately led to my first children's book, Mr. Ace and the Rainbow Bridge. Months after his passing, I sat with Squire pen in hand and etched the first draft in my Confidant notebook. The result is a children's book for kids of all ages to comfort them during the loss of a beloved pet.

The whole time I thought we were changing his life; Ace was, in fact, changing ours.

Mr. Ace and the Rainbow Bridge is available now on Amazon.