Dogtown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption

 

STEFAN BECHTEL

Stats for my copy: Hardback, National Geographic, 2009

How acquired: Via Bookcrossing.com

First line: John Garcia is under attack.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I was not familiar with the TV show DogTown, not having cable and therefore not having the National Geographic channel, but of course the title of the book and the dog on the cover caught my eye. I follow so many rescue organizations on FB, and dogs are my spirit animal. So I was excited to dive into this book, and it did not disappoint.

Berendt

Each chapter is focused on one or two specific dogs, almost all of them having come to Dogtown from a bad situation – hoarding, puppy mills, even a couple of the Vicktory Dogs, as the pitties involved in Michael Vick’s dogfighting operation came to be called. But one dog’s story especially touched me. Knightly had lived his whole life in a safe loving home as part of the family, but his owners were elderly and eventually were unable to take care of themselves, much less Knightly. Long story short, Knightly found himself at Dogtown, where he was bewildered, anxious, and depressed. I could easily picture him, lost in his new world, and my heart just ached. I’m actually tearing up right now, just writing about him. My last dog experienced a similar situation, finding his way to me after his owner passed away. Unlike Knightly, he was unsocialized, having been around pretty much nobody but his one owner for six years. But like Knightly, he was bewildered and anxious. It took several weeks for me to gain his trust, for him to allow me to pet him, and thankfully I did break through his emotional barriers and win him over and I believe he was happy with me. Unfortunately, I only got four years with him, before he passed away. All this to say Knightly’s story struck a note with me.

But enough about me. I very much enjoyed this book, sad at times, but also uplifting and hopeful, and I truly admire the staff of Dogtown and their devotion to their charges.

Goodreads Synopsis: A national rescue organization with more than 200,000 members, DogTown is the area where dogs live at the nation’s largest companion animal sanctuary run by Best Friends Animal Society. This informative, inspiring book presents representative stories of dogs considered unadoptable by other shelters. They come from many backgrounds: some were abandoned; some prowled the streets as strays; others suffer from mysterious illnesses, serious injuries, or antisocial behaviors that discourage potential adopters. But good fortune led them to Best Friends and the dedicated people devoted to helping them recover and find welcoming homes.

These compelling, winningly illustrated true stories, each uniquely moving and inspirational, draw upon the experience of veterinarians, trainers, and volunteers to probe a range of tough, touching cases that evoke both the joy and the occasional but inevitable heartbreak that accompanies this work. Each chapter follows a dog from the first day at Dogtown until he ultimately finds (or doesn’t find) a permanent new home, focusing both on the relationship between the dog and the Dogtown staff and on the latest discoveries about animal health and behavior. We learn how dogs process information, how trauma affects their behavior, and how people can help them overcome their problems. In the end, we come to see that there are no "bad dogs" and that with patience, care, and compassion, people can help dogs to heal.