Redemption weighs in at 140 pounds, with a lot of fur

May is National Pet Month, and there are likely to be many stories circulating about man, woman and their pets. But perhaps none is as compelling as the tale of Colin Campbell and George.

As Campbell struggled with depression upon the ending of his marriage, a friend suggested he adopt a shelter dog.

“I thought I was saving his life and doing him a favor,” Campbell recalled. “As life evolved after that, I realized he was doing me a much bigger favor in return.”

While watching George rebound from the neglect and abuse he had suffered, Campbell felt encouraged along his own road to healing. “Any time George made some progress, I took it very personally. The lessons I learned from him — that’s how he saved me. It was a very personal journey for both of us, and a happy one.”

Campbell, the author of “Free Days with George: Learning Life’s Little Lessons from One Very Big Dog,” and his very big Newfoundland visited WHYY, where Campbell spoke with NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller about the redemption each brought to the other.