Meet Pinky: The Service Dog Behind Our Story
How Pinky Got His Name
When a little black puppy with white paws joined the family, April's daughter Alexis spotted something special right away: a pink spot on his nose. Alexis named him Pinky, and that was that.
Well, almost. David had other ideas. He tried "Turbo." He tried "Rocket." He tried pretty much anything else he could think of. But that puppy only ever answered to one name, and it was Pinky. So Pinky he stayed.
If you have met us on the road, you have probably met Pinky first. He's usually the one people notice before they notice us, and we don't blame them. So for our very first post here, we wanted to introduce you to the little guy who has walked beside us through so much.
How Pinky Picked April
At first, Pinky lived with Alexis and Winter, her white Great Pyrenees puppy. Then one day all three came over to visit, and Pinky would not leave April. He picked her!
It wasn't long before David noticed something more. Pinky could sense how April was feeling. On her "bad" days, he simply would not leave her side.
Learning the Best Job in the World
David did most of Pinky's service dog training. It took patience, repetition, and a lot of love, and Pinky grew into a hard-working helper.
Pinky's job is simple to describe and huge in what it means to us: watch April, stay close to April, and if April needs help, go get David. When something is wrong, Pinky paws David. That paw is his alert, and it tells David to come now.
April lives without a stomach. Back in 2021, surgeons removed her stomach, her spleen, and parts of her intestines, and nobody could tell us what life would look like afterward. Some days are hard. On those days it means more than we can say to know that Pinky is paying attention, even when we can't be.
We also want to say plainly: Pinky didn't replace our faith, our doctors, or each other. He's one of the ways the Lord has taken care of us. We truly believe that.
One day, early in our life with Pinky, he wouldn't let David leave for work. It was clear something was bothering him. He whined and circled around April. She was hurting and hadn't said a word about it. So David stayed home and took care of her.
That's when we knew God sent Pinky to help make our lives better. We had no plans to get a dog to travel with, but God knew better than us. He always has a plan.
Life on the Road with Pinky
When we decided to stop waiting and start living, we packed up our travel trailer and headed down the road. Pinky came along, of course, vest and bowl and all.
Since then he has met more people than we can count. He has worked at gatherings full of campers, made friends in new campgrounds, and once in a while gets to just be a dog and play. A lot of the conversations April has with strangers, the ones about pain, fear, and finding a reason to keep going, start with someone asking, "Can I pet your dog?" (The answer while he's working is "not right now," but it's a wonderful way to start talking.)
Why We Wrote the Pinky Adventures Books
Kids love Pinky. Grandkids love Pinky. So we wrote the Pinky Adventures: six gentle picture books for ages 3 to 6, written by both of us as companion books to April's memoir. They follow Pinky from puppy school to life on the road, with simple words, warm pictures, and a lesson about kindness and service dogs in every story.
If your little ones have ever wondered why they shouldn't pet a dog in a vest, or what a service dog actually does all day, these books are for them.
Come Meet the Real Pinky
Pinky's story is part of a bigger one. April's memoir, Against All Odds: The Fight Within, tells the whole thing: the years of unexplained pain, the day everything changed, the faith that carried her when medicine couldn't, and the choice we made to keep living. It launches Saturday, December 5, 2026.
Then on Saturday, December 5, 2026, join us for our Book Signing & Launch Party at Chateau Le Coeur, 7225 US Highway 331 South, DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435 at 2:00 PM. Get your copy signed, pick up the Pinky books for the kids in your life, and yes, meet Pinky in person.
- Read about the memoir: April's Story
- See all six Pinky books: Pinky Adventures
- Event details: Events
- Stay in touch: Sign up below for launch news, event dates, and Pinky updates, sent now and then.
Thank you for reading, and for walking a little of this road with us.
With love, April, David & Pinky
