Children have an incredible way of seeing what adults sometimes overlook. Where others see a shelter dog, they see a loyal friend, a lifelong companion, and a heart simply waiting for someone to believe in them.

By encouraging even the smallest acts of kindness toward animals, adults help nurture compassion that extends far beyond the shelter—shaping caring hearts that will make a difference for years to come.

And so, one remarkable young changemaker decided that some stories deserved more than a sad ending—they deserved second chances, wagging tails, and a place to finally call home.

12-Year-Old Children’s Author & Philanthropist, Amelie Anastasia, joins our John Masiulionis and Little Forrest on Episode #277 of PR From The Heart’s Children’s Books Spotlight Series to share her inspiring journey that transformed a young girl with a love for animals into one of the nation’s most passionate advocates for shelter dogs, the release of her newest book, Shelter Dogs: Stories of Rescued Furever Friends (published by Little House of Dreams Publishing), the true rescue stories that inspired its pages, the special mother-daughter bond behind Shelter Dogs and Amelie’s growing vision, how families can make a meaningful difference for shelter animals, her lifelong dream of creating an animal sanctuary called The Happy Place, the driving force behind her podcast, What’s Up, Young Authors!, where she empowers the next generation of KidLit creators to share their stories—plus much more.

We encourage you, our friends and neighbors, to support Amelie’s mission by getting your copy of Shelter Dogs: Stories of Rescued Furever Friends and enjoy this empowering read with your little ones: https://bit.ly/4yCTDHF. 100% of proceeds go to local animal shelters.

Shelter Dogs: Stories of Rescued Furever Friends
Text copyright © 2026 by Amelie Anastasia • Illustrations copyright © 2026 by Shafer Stedron, MD. Used with permission. Published by Little House of Dreams Publishing. All rights reserved.

As PR From The Heart has grown and evolved alongside Amelie over the years, we invite you to revisit her previous trolley stop on The Neighborly Reviews Bookcast, where she joins David Newell, the beloved Mr. McFeely from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and John to reflect on the releases of Fox Tales, Fox Tales 2, and Wolf Tales: https://bit.ly/4fk8lKN.