'It's OK To Be Different' | The Message Behind A New Children's Book Featuring A Maryland Dog
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. (WJZ) -- It's OK to be different. That's the title and message behind a new book about a dog from Maryland.
At a car dealership in Randallstown, a welcomed visitor rolls onto the shop floor, an 8-year-old boxer named Brody.
"He's pretty much the shop mascot, everybody loves Brody," Richard Berger said.
Berger is Brody's human. The two go everywhere together, including work.
"There's a lot of love here for him," Berger said.
Earlier this year Brody was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, a disease that affects the spinal cord, causing him to lose control of his back legs.
"It just killed me, I was in tears every night holding him and I still am," Berger said. "Every night when I go to sleep, I hold him and cry."
The community rallied around Brody, raising money for a wheelchair and rollerskates. Eventually, those tears gave way to purpose, inspiring Berger to share Brody's story, letting people know it's okay to be different.
"Whether you're handicapped, race, color, religion, creed, whatever it is, it's OK to be different," Berger said.
Berger even brought on Scott McGowan to write a children's book about his fearless four-legged friend.
"Being different is something that marginalizes people, or can have that potential and in the case of Brody, he's different and he's become very popular," McGowan said.
The book is called 'It's OK to Be Different: Introducing Brody the Boxer AKA Hollywood.'
