The subtitle of the first chapter of Coupeville author Ardeth de Vries’ new book is, “This is a book about transformation.”

De Vries, who now owns five dogs, didn’t have any dogs growing up because her father was afraid of them.

She said the first part of her life, which included a 45-year teaching career, wasn’t focused on animals.

“The segment of my life where I was teaching was all about people,” de Vries said.

But since she retired and moved to Whidbey Island in 2005, it’s been all about dogs.

De Vries is the president of the board of directors of Old Dog Haven, a network of homes and shelters in Western Washington that gives senior dogs homes.

Her book, “Old Dog Haven: Every Old Dog has a Story to Tell,” was a finalist in the 2014 USA Best Book Awards, Animals/Pets: Narrative Non-Fiction category.

De Vries will be talking about Old Dog Haven and signing books at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, at the Coupeville Library. All proceeds from book sales go to Old Dog Haven, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The organization began in late 2004 and has since given homes to more than 4,000 senior (8 years old and up) dogs via a network of more than 135 foster and Final Refuge homes.

According to de Vries’ book, the organization began when founders Judith and Lee Piper took in two dogs at the end of their lives. Word of their generosity spread out, shelters requested the Pipers take in old dogs and volunteers began sending donations.

In her book, de Vries explains the concept of a Final Refuge home: “For the dogs that were not healthy enough or emotionally fit for adoption, the concept of Final Refuge homes was born. Final Refuge homes offer hospice care for dogs that need one last secure home…”

And although taking care of ailing old dogs is expensive, Old Dog Haven takes care of all vet bills, which currently means the organization pays $40,000 per month for veterinary fees.

De Vries said that old dogs have a hard time getting adopted because many people view them as expendable.

“The need to get these dogs homes has been driving the organization (Old Dog Haven,” she said.

“It’s just kind of an amazing thing.”

In addition to being president of the board, de Vries writes the newsletters for the organization and offers counseling to dog owners who need to make end-of-life decisions for their pets.

De Vries said she gets 15-20 dog-mails a day from people looking for advice. She has also written articles that answer questions like, “How do you know when it’s time to let them go?” and “How do you grieve when your animal friend dies?”

But de Vries said, for her, “Watching a dog struggle to be well is harder than the grieving process after.”

She once provided short-term hospice care for a dog that only lived six hours after he came to de Vries.

“It was clear to me that I was that person in his life.”

De Vries said she focuses on the moment and doesn’t look ahead, anticipating when her dogs will die.

“Dogs live in the moment,” de Vries said. “If it works for them, it works for me. If I can provide happy moments, that’s enough.”

De Vries said that’s a lesson she has learned from her animals.

“I’ve learned most of the important things in my life from dogs,” she said.

De Vries got the idea to write her book four years ago because she wanted to tell the stories of the dogs that have been adopted and the people who adopted them.

She said she went to Old Dog Haven founders, the Pipers, and said, “People need to know about the plight for senior dogs.”

It took four years to put the book together.

Thirty-four dogs made it into the book because they were in scenarios that de Vries wanted to write about.

Scenarios included dogs who need new homes after their owner died, dogs who lost homes because their owners couldn’t afford to keep them, dogs who were found in puppy mills, dogs brought to shelters as strays, dogs whose owners move or no longer have time for them, dogs who have been neglected and are no longer wanted… The list goes on.

De Vries said that while “dogs tell great stories,” she also wanted to tell the stories of the people who adopted them.

“I wanted their voices to be heard,” she said. “They’re the ones who gave these expendable dogs a home.”

In the book, de Vries said all the dogs have one thing in common: “No one wants them. Their value in the eyes of others has diminished.”

But de Vries said that people all over the world rise to the occasion, especially because of Old Dog Haven’s website, which lists the dogs that need homes.

She said very few dogs come to Old Dog Haven healthy and desirable. They all have physical and/or emotional issues. De Vries said that she rarely knows much about the dogs’ histories and what they’ve gone through.

“My goal is to erase the bad memories,” she said. “They’re so trusting. These guys have very big hearts.”

De Vries has taken in more than 20 dogs — and those are just the schnauzers.

She said she somehow gets all the schnauzers.

“I must send out an energy,” de Vries said.

In addition to four schnauzers, Lacy, Maggie, Cassie and Harper, de Vries has one shih tzu, Tanner, who is blind and 15 years old.

“They all came with baggage,” de Vries said.

But whenever she brings a new dog into her home, all the current ones are welcoming.

“They know the new kid needs to be here,” de Vries said. “They’re all such good kids.

“Once they come here, they stay here.”