ROCKFORD, Michigan — At a little bookstore tucked away from the world, foot traffic is hard to come by.
"Not a lot of people knew we were here. So the days were kind of boring," said Epilogue Books co-owner Valerie Burkholder.
One way to draw a crowd? Blocking traffic with fluffy feet.
“Oh, he loves to sit by the front door. People have to step over him," laughed Valerie. "Just all the spots that he knows that he can't be ignored.”
When Valerie and her husband, Pat, got the idea for a bookstore. She thought they’d be known for—shocker—books.
“One day Pat said 'I'm gonna take Tommy to work with me,'" she explained. “People would be like, ‘Oh, he's such a chill dog’ and then pretty soon it was, ‘Oh my god, he's the most chill dog in Rockford.’”
Michigan is famous for its clouds of snow. Rockford may as well be famous for their own cloud of gold.
“Now he's the most popular thing in this bookstore," she said, gesturing to her golden retriever, Tommy.
“People would open the door and say, 'is Tommy here?' and if you said no, they'd be like, 'Okay, I'll be back tomorrow.'”
Man’s best friend soon got a promotion. To employee of the month.
"He's just a greeter," she said, “that's just his role. He is our most valuable employee but don't tell Cindy that."
But Cindy Coats, behind the register, is in front of the Tommy hype.
“He is calm and chill and everything that I wish I could be all day long," said Cindy. “He is like, like a landmark here in town.”
Just as landmarks get anniversaries, such is the case for Tommy the bookstore dog. He's celebrating his eighth birthday in an all-out bash: story time on the rug, balloon animals and snuggles in the middle of the checkout line.
“Everybody deserves to be celebrated, but especially a golden retriever," said Cindy.
“Each year it's gotten bigger and bigger and bigger," said Valerie, "people bring him gifts."
Among his gift tables, some dog treats that read 'happy birthday,' cheese in a can, tennis balls and some handmade cards.
“There's a little boy who makes him a card every year. And he has every year and includes a picture of a Polaroid picture of him and his dog," Valerie smiled.
“We wanted to celebrate with him," said Ella, a fifth grader.
"He's really sweet," agreed fourth grader Lexi.
“Kids want to sit down and read books to him that wouldn't necessarily pick up the book because he's here," said Cindy.
Tommy is there for the days he’s surrounded by stories. And there when life is stranger than fiction.
"He is a therapy dog. We did take him to Michigan State last year after the shooting, and he comforted students," said Valerie. “I've had people say to me, he just knew I needed him today. And that's just who Tommy is.”
“Rather it's a connection to our bookstore, connection to him. I don't care. I just I love that people want to gather and people want to be together and celebrate something, even if it is a dog."
At the little bookstore, tucked away from the world, bestselling books line the shelves. The most popular, not among them, but in his spot in front of the door — the bookstore's best seller.
"He's just, he's just one of those dogs," smiled Valerie.
► Epilogue Books is located at 10 E Bridge Street NE in Rockford, Michigan. They're open every day of the week. You can catch Tommy there most days, but not Sundays — those are his days off.
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