A Book For Every Young Soul
Based on a true story of an incredible dog named Bear, Bear Strong is a children’s book for all ages about perseverance, triumph, and the power of love.
Living on the streets of Texas for the first eight years of his life, Bear braved the bad weather, agonizing hunger, and people who were unkind to him. Despite Bear’s unfair circumstances, he had an unshakable strength and a true blue soul. And like many homeless dogs, Bear dreamed of better days—those with a soft, cozy bed, scrumptious food, and the love of a family.
In January of 2022, a caring stranger saw Bear and called ThisIsHouston. It took lots of faith for Bear to trust anyone, but once he was safe in the arms of his rescuers, he finally could close his eyes and rest without fear or danger. With a very heavy tumor right by one of his silky ears, Bear’s health was fading fast, but his spirit was still very strong.
ThisIsHouston rushed Bear to the emergency vet and, over the next several days, he received lifesaving treatment and surgery to remove the tumor. The doctors said that Bear was living with two types of cancer, a heart condition, and a bullet injury. They couldn’t believe how much Bear had suffered, and thought they might be too late. But Bear was just getting started at a beautiful life.
ThisIsHouston founders, Tom Heller and Laura Forma, promised they would do everything possible to give Bear all the love he missed out on for eight long years. From chemo to laser therapy to making a permanent place for him in their home, Tom and Laura gave Bear the best care they could find. Each day this gorgeous boy grew stronger, and each day his gentle, princely personality shined a little more.
Bear’s story captured the hearts of people across the world, with new furever friends sending him toys, treats, and amazing messages of love. This best boy ever inspired thousands by never giving up.
A powerful story of perseverance, hope, and what it means to be a survivor, Bear Strong is a must for animal lovers and humans who like making a difference in the world.
The CollaBEARation
This passion project was created with my husband, Jon, as a collaboration of writing, illustration, and design for a dog that stole our hearts.
I met Bear in the fall of 2022 after following his story on social media. My brother and sister-in-law were already big fans of ThisIsHouston, so I was lucky enough to get a VIP meeting with the best boy ever!
Bear was the perfect celebrity…just as gorgeous and sweet as he was on all of his posts. And I was literally kind of starstruck!
That’s when the idea for a children’s book was born.
We wanted to tell his story, to celebrate Bear’s brave life, and to share what love can do.
We also wanted to bring awareness about neglected street and shelter dogs and give back to the rescue who gives so much to hurting animals.
Buy Our Book “Bear Strong” Here
Bear Strong is a gift of love to ThisIsHouston,
a 501(c)(3) animal rescue in Houston, TX.
100% of proceeds go to ThisIsHouston.
I began writing Bear’s story, while Jon amazingly drew illustration after illustration of this world-famous fur baby.
After lots of hard work creating, researching, and corresponding with our project partners, we had a book we were very proud of, about a boy we were even more proud of.
On January 1, 2025, we met up with Bear and his pawrents, ThisIsHouston founders Tom and Laura, so that we could give him a few more Bear hugs and kisses before his book shipped. When I got a kiss back from Bear, I knew it was a sign of good luck for the new year🩷
We’re so excited to have Bear Strong out in the world, to share Bear’s story, and to bring hope to more dogs who long for a warm bed, a full belly, and all the love that they very much deserve.
Buy Our Book “Bear Strong” Here
Bear Strong is a gift of love to ThisIsHouston,
a 501(c)(3) animal rescue in Houston, TX.
100% of proceeds go to ThisIsHouston.
Special Thanks
We’re ever grateful for each of these good dog people who helped us share Bear’s story:
@the_stano_law_firm
@adelaida0704
@robynarouty
@anandajoyphotography
@mollywigand
And last but not least, we could’ve never created Bear’s book without the love of his pawrents, Laura and Tom. Thank you for believing in this remarkable soul, for never giving up on that sweet face, for giving him the life his gentle heart dreamed of: