It started with a graphic design experiment and ended with a coloring book.
It’s now the latest tool Leah Brewer and her therapy dog Elle are using to educate children and adults on the role therapy dogs play in everyday life.
The book, called Pawin’ It Forward, is a collaboration between Brewer and graphic designer Jason Bone, who in doing some work for Brewer to promote Elle’s therapy work, came up with a photo manipulation of Elle that resembled a coloring book photo.
“Jason came to our pack walks with his dog Asha,” Brewer said Wednesday. “He basically lent his graphic talent to help with promoting Elle.”
The original coloring page photo.
What Bone did was use Elle’s Best Breed Ambassador photo and turn it into a photo that resembled one found in coloring books. The photo became so popular people began asking for permission to print it.
Its popularity turned into the idea for a coloring page. Brewer took 100 copies to Texas Steakhouse and it became something children could color while waiting for their food.
The coloring page has traveled across the country, world and locally, ending up at The Rock, Subway and Tractor Supply. In all, some 400 pages were sent out. It became so popular that one was placed on the Wall of Heroes board at Texas Steakhouse.
A page excerpt.
Inspiration for the coloring book came from another children’s book in which Elle was a character — a book called Keifer and Friends. “I wanted to make a book where I shared Elle’s story and give a little bit of a window into Elle’s therapy work,” Brewer said.
The goal is to place the books in schools and for individuals interested in Elle’s work to be able to buy them. “It’s about spreading positive awareness and educating the youth and changing the world,” Brewer said.
The title of the book is play on the idea of paying good deeds forward and Elle’s trick of giving high-fives to those she meets, Brewer said.
The cover.
The book is another way Brewer is getting the message across about the value of therapy dogs and to erase the negative stereotypes of pit bulls, which is Elle’s breed.
The book also rides a wave of other achievements Brewer and Elle have made, most recently being given the Golden Dog Award by Parker Pup and being accepted into the Reading Education Assistance Dogs program, a program that brings more structure to reading programs Brewer has been having at Chaloner Middle School and Vaughan Elementary School. “It’s another avenue,” she said. “Basically it’s doing the same thing but in a more structured way. I have someone to call on if I need help.”
For more information or to buy one of the books — there are both small and large copies — send an email to
