French Bulldog’s Agility Story Inspires Children

Competitor's award-winning book shares heartwarming tale.

This article was originally published in the April 2025 OVERview digital magazine.

Even though Deborah Stevenson’s French Bulldog, Soren, passed away years ago, his determination and spirit live on in her illustrated children’s book, “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly.” Deborah has written nearly a dozen children’s books, with the most recent being “Marvin’s Little Mermaid.” Yet, her book about Soren holds a special place in her heart.

Deborah, a Sparta, New Jersey, resident, has competed in USDAA for more than 20 years with several of her dogs, including Soren. After he died in 2016, she decided to write a book to celebrate Soren and their agility journey. Deborah said, “Nobody thought a Frenchie could do agility, but Soren did not believe in limitations. He was amazing and had many achievements in agility, including becoming the first agility champion of his breed.

“In the book, Soren explains how he learns to do all the obstacles and teaches children about the sport in simple terms they can understand,” Deborah added. “While introducing them to agility, I also hope it might inspire them to pursue their own passions, even if success seems unlikely, because hard work and determination make amazing things possible.”

The book garnered several awards, including Best Children’s/Juvenile Non-Fiction Book at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2017) and a silver medal in Children’s Animal Books at the Feathered Quill Book Awards (2018). “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” can be purchased on Amazon or at bookshop.org. Discover all of her books at https://www.frogprincebooks.net.

Deborah remains active in the agility community, teaching and competing with her 7-year-old Border Collie, Sir, who recently earned his ADCH, and her rat terriers.