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Dogs are man's best friend. And they also can be heroes.

Marilyn Jeffers Walton, an Oxford resident, has released her latest book telling the stories of courageous dogs.

Walton's eighth book, "Badge of My Collar: A Chronicle of Courageous Canines," documents true stories of dogs and their handlers on adventures and in dangerous situations. These include search and rescue teams that work after natural disasters or police officers and their crime dogs. These stories describe the emotional bond that the handler and dog form between each other.

"I wrote to emphasize the bond," said Walton. "These are the handlers' pets even though they are highly-trained dogs."

One story tells about dogs that searched the Pentagon after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the dog that was lost at the site of the World Trade Center.

Walton said her inspiration to write the book started when she began attending the police canine regional trials when she lived in Minnesota.

"Over the years I collected stories about these dogs, considering if I would write a book," she said. "I truly became a chronicler."

She said she got to know some police officers who would tell her their stories about their dogs and the bond with their dogs.

The book contains stories of 15 profiled dogs from around the country, including some local canines. One of the stories tells about a Cincinnati police dog. He was due to be put down at the animal shelter in Butler County the day he was rescued. Two dogs in the book are from Oxford; their names are Simon and Dover.

There is a story about a LAPD dog named Serpico. He was nearly killed in a drug raid in Los Angeles, resulting in his front leg and shoulder being amputated. Although he only has three legs, he is still working, Walton said.

One story tells about a dog named Midge, who is the smallest known police dog. She is a rat terrier from Minnesota.

Walton said that the challenge she faced as she wrote the book was sifting through enough stories to get 15.

"I would consider doing a sequel to this book because there are a lot of stories out there, she said. "A lot of people are unaware how these dogs are trained and to what capacity they serve."

Walton said that people have a lot of misconceptions about crime dogs, and stressed that most are actually very friendly and well-trained.

Walton said that her book is not for a specific readership age and that most anyone would enjoy the stories.

"There are stories in here for everybody," she said. "Most books are classified for child or adult, but anyone can read this one. It doesn't hover in an age range."

Miami's Ben Roethlisberger has a foundation to fund bullet-proof vests for dogs. Walton said there is a tremendous need for dogs to get these since they go into all kinds of dangerous situations.

Walton will be signing copies of her book at Books in Shandon from 1 to 4 p.m. March 8. She said she plans to bring two local dogs with her, Simon and Bomber. Simon is from Oxford and Bomber lives in Middletown.

Walton's book has been on amazon.com's hot new sellers list and is ranked 12th out of 100.

The United States Police Canine Association also has the book available on its Web site at www.uspcak9.com. Russ Hess, the executive director of the association wrote the forward in the book.

The book also is available online through amazon.com or authorhouse.com. Those who do not have access to the internet can call (888) 728-8467 to order a copy.