You would have to have a heart of stone not to be inspired by Walking With Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life by Eric O’Grey. (Full disclosure: Eric is a PETA supporter, and we were awed by his story long before he wrote this memorable book.)
In 2010, Eric weighed 350 pounds. He spent $1,000 a month on medications for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and deadly cholesterol levels. He was lonely and depressed. During a company-mandated physical the year before, the doctor told him to buy a cemetery plot, warning him that he would be dead in five years if he didn’t get his weight under control. But after a lifetime of failed diets, Eric felt hopeless, and he prayed to God, asking to die.
When that didn’t happen, Eric decided that he had one last chance to save his life: “I opened my eyes and started actively looking for signs that might lead me toward a better life—and immediately a sign showed up.” He had turned on CNN and just happened to catch Bill Clinton telling Wolf Blitzer that eating a “whole-food, plant-based diet ” had completely transformed his health.
Eric searched for health practitioners in his area and found a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Preeti Kulkarni, who could see him right away. He vowed to do whatever she suggested, no matter how inclined he was to resist. He was shocked to find out that eating a whole-food, plant-based diet meant going vegan—and was even more shocked when Dr. Kulkarni suggested that he adopt a dog from a shelter, as having to walk a dog twice a day would force him to exercise. Despite not being able to make a pot of rice, let alone cook an entire meal from scratch, and having no experience with animals, Eric followed through. He told the shelter counselor that he wanted “an overweight middle-aged dog, so at least we’ll have something in common.” Enter Peety.
Over the next year, Eric learned to cook, he and Peety became inseparable, and just by going vegan and walking and playing with Peety, Eric lost 150 pounds (and Peety lost 25). More changes followed in the next few years: Eric joined a running club, started participating in marathons and hosting vegan dinner parties, and even reconnected with his high school sweetheart.
Although Eric admits that at the start of his journey, “I wasn’t a Greenpeace or PETA kind of guy …. Not that I didn’t care about animals, I just never spent a whole lot of time thinking about them,” by the end of the book, he’s ditching his leather shoes and searching for products not tested on animals. “I went full-contact vegan. I wanted every facet of my life to reflect my beliefs, and my beliefs were based in kindness.”
Want to read more about Eric’s inspiring transformation? Visit PETA Prime’s Facebook page for your chance to win an autographed copy of Walking With Peety.
***
Walking With Peety Giveaway Guidelines
To enter for a chance to win a copy of the book, visit the PETA Prime Facebook page and comment on the photo of Peety with the name of your animal companion and your favorite activity to do together.
This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by or associated with Facebook. Entries must be received by Friday, October 13, at 4 p.m. ET. Three winners will be chosen at random and notified via direct message on Facebook on Monday, October 16. This contest is open to U.S. residents only. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law. By entering, you’re acknowledging that you have read and you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy and that you agree to release Facebook completely from any claims related to the contest.
