DEL MAR, Calif. — When a dog loses its ball at the beach, what happens to the ball?
In this Zevely Zone, I bounced down to Del Mar's Dog Beach to meet the author of 'Wally Ball'. At Del Mar's Dog Beach, so many dogs lose balls, Lance Ayon was struck by a thought deeper than the ocean.
"Did the ball lose the dog or did the dog lose the ball? I thought what about the poor ball he lost his dog," said Lance.
He created a Lost Dog Ball Wall and decided to write his first children's book titled Wally Ball.
"I'm going to be a tennis ball advocate. I've got to help these tennis balls find their dogs. It sounds crazy but that is how it started," said Lance.
"I thought, take it from the perspective of the tennis ball, I mean he had to get lost at sea, come in at night, he had to be scared as heck, and is he ever going to see his dog?"
The book's plot plays out daily at the dog beach.
"There are lots of dog balls that get lost here," said the Robertson family from Poway. They wanted to know if the two best friends would reunite.
"I think I'd buy it for my grandchildren," said the Robertson's grandmother. Lance is donating a portion of the book's proceeds to a rock garden that memorializes more than 700 dogs.
Jimmy Joe Gooding created Gwen's Garden in honor of his yellow lab who passed away seven years ago.
"It's a happy place down here because dog beach is Disneyland for dogs," said Jimmy Joe.
"Everybody that I have shown it to thinks it is a great story. You got to feel for the toys that get lost," said Lance who has a big heart.
"Don't make me cry Jeff, ha, ha, ha," Lance laughed. "Dog lovers you know everywhere I think would like this; I really do."
Lance didn't cry like a ball or a baby, but he sure hopes you'll enjoy his book. Wally Ball is for sale online at Amazon.
For a link and more information: click here.