Local Author Shares How Her Dog’s Companionship Transformed Her Life
When Jennifer Huston Schaeffer first brought home Benny, she wasn’t looking for transformation. She was living in Chicago and missed the closeness of her community in South Bend, where she’d grown up.
“I had made some friends,” she says, “but my closest ones were still back home. I was shy, too shy to really do much about it.”
So she made a quiet decision.
“I was at a point in my life where I thought, I’m done dating. I’m just going to get a dog,” she says.
That dog was Benny. He was calm, steady, and just the right mix of gentle and goofy, Schaeffer says.
Benny had a certain presence about him — laid back unless he saw a squirrel, when he would appropriately lose his mind.
Otherwise, Benny made Schaeffer feel relaxed and comfortable in her own skin.
With Benny by her side, Jennifer’s world opened up. Everyday moments became easier. He helped her navigate social anxiety, serving as both comfort and conversation starter.
“He was my security blanket,” she says. “People would stop to ask about him, and that made everything simpler. I didn’t have to think of what to say, it just flowed.”
Those small changes shaped her life in lasting ways, and years later, they became the heart of her book “Mommy’s Boy: How My Doggie Soulmate’s Love Rescued Me.” Part memoir, part love letter, it traces the decade she spent with Benny and how his companionship helped her confront shyness, loneliness and eventually, grief.
Jennifer had long worked in publishing as a book editor, spending much of her career with children’s publishers in Chicago before starting her own business. Writing had always been part of her process, especially in moments of loss.
“In times of immense grief, it’s been my therapy,” she says.
When Benny passed away after 10 years together, she and her husband were devastated. For all intents and purposes, Benny was their son.
Out of that grief came Mommy’s Boy, a book that captures the story of how Benny changed her life and how his memory continues to do so. The memoir isn’t simply about losing a pet, it’s about what animals can teach us about love and resilience.
Jennifer writes about Benny’s mischievous charm — the food he’d steal, the squirrels he’d chase — but also about the deeper lessons he left behind. His loyalty and calm presence helped her rebuild confidence and navigate anxiety. His health challenges, including allergies and separation anxiety, reminded her how love often means caring through hardship.
“I wanted to show how profoundly pets can affect us,” she says. “Especially for people struggling with shyness, anxiety, or loneliness. Our time with them is short, but the comfort they bring stays.”
The author now lives in Westfield with her husband and their dog Ziggy. She hopes Mommy’s Boy offers comfort to anyone who’s lost a beloved pet and serves as a reminder that healing can take many forms.
“I always tell people to find a creative outlet,” Schaeffer says. “You don’t have to write a book, but find a way to channel that grief. Paint, garden, sew — whatever works for you. Just do something that keeps their memory alive in a positive way.”
Jennifer will appear at the Holiday Author Fair at the Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St., on Dec. 6 from noon to 4 p.m. Her book Mommy’s Boy is available online and through local booksellers.
You can find her on Facebook and Instagram, where she continues to share stories about Benny, Ziggy and the quiet joy that comes from loving animals well.
