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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This one will make you proud, September 28, 2009
This review is from: DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption (Hardcover)
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This book is a collection of stories written by both paid staff and volunteers at the Best Frieds Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, about their experiences with dogs that most of society cannot or will not help in their time of most need.
My wife and I have visited the Best Friends sanctuary in Utah numerous times and as volunteers worked with their staff and other volunteers in Mississippi and Louisiana in the aftermath of Katrina. We have seen first hand the dedication and professionalism of the Best Friends organization and know the stories in this collection are not make believe. These are the real thing and the amazing thing is they do it day in and day out.
As the title suggests the stories, included in fifteen chapters, deal with the rescue, rehabilitation, and redemption efforts of the Best Friends group in the face of what is sometimes overwhelming odds. You will meet the aftermath of NFL star Michael Vick's shameful activities and the heroic efforts to salvage the dogs he tortured and maimed; the story of Rush, the dog sent to Best Friends "Dogtown" in Kanab from the Lebanon war zone is amazing and will renew your faith in humanity; and the story of the last days of Bruno will forever remain in your mind. These are just a few of the stories that illustrate the work and mission of this remarkable group of people that deal with animals that have literally looked into the face of evil.
This is not a touchy-feely type book. It is the story of people with soul that not only talk the talk but walk the walk when it comes to animal welfare. More and more books about animals are being published every year but this one is the real thing. This book will make you proud and give you hope in the face of what increasingly seems to be overwhelming odds in what is truly saintly work; the rescue, rehabilitation, and redemption of those that cannot help themselves.
Highly recommended.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational and amazing stories, September 22, 2009
This review is from: DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
There are lots of dog owners, but not all of them are dog LOVERS. The difference between the average dog owner, who sees his pet as something that has little more value than a chair he owns, is worlds apart from a dog lover, who cherishes his animals and always wants the best for them. Dog lovers make up the population of Dog Town, and they get to tell their stories about dogs they have cared for and rehabilitated over the yrs.
The book starts out with the sad story of Georgia, one of Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennel pits that was trained fron puppyhood to maim and kill. Vick and his kind treat the dogs in a way that make Hannibal Lecter look like a sweetheart. If ESPN played videos of dog fights and how the dogs are treated, I doubt there would be any supporters for Vick and his second chance in the NFL. Dog Town took many of Vick's dogs against the advice of other animal groups who believed they could not be retrained.
The people at Dog Town are heroes in every sense of the word, and this book inspired me to work harder in my own community for the welfare of dogs. I also gleaned information about training techniques for dogs that are shy or have food aggression. This is not a dog training book per se, but the stories give examples of how the people try to reward good behavior and dampen negative behavior.
If you are a dog LOVER, you will love this book and want to get a second job so you can send them lots of money every month to keep Dog Town going!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Working for a better society, one animal at a time, March 27, 2010
This review is from: DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Anyone familiar with Best Friends Animal Society will know what to expect from DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption. The Best Friends magazine and website are absolutely top notch in production values, and this book is equally effective. If you are a dog lover, prepare for a full court press on your emotions when you read this book. The techniques that have been so effective in spreading the Best Friends message are in evidence here, making for a highly readable book.
Best Friends is a leader in the no-kill movement and works on all fronts to rescue, rehabilitate and redeem animals. The Society was well positioned for rapid response to Hurricane Katrina and some of the dogs featured in the book came from that devastated area. Best Friends owns and leases nearly 38,000 acres of land in Utah, boundaried by some of the nation's most glorious national parks, in a canyon formerly used for filming Westerns. There they run the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, where 2,000 animals make their (hopefully temporary) homes and 4,500 people volunteer every year. The canine section, Dogtown, is well-known as the subject and site of National Geographic TV program of the same name.
The goal for all Best Friends animals is a "forever home"--in other words, adoption. Their basic principle is that no animal is too handicapped, unsocialized, aggressive, or unappealing to be rehabilitated and placed in a home. The stories are told by Best Friends workers, veterinarians, volunteers and supporters, and feature dogs from many backgrounds, many of them rescued from hoarders, puppy mills, or dog fighting operations. The book opens with the sad story of football player Michael Vick's fighting dogs. The reader's tears of sympathy for the dogs are tempered by the happy endings, and each story also highlights some aspect of the society's work. A highly effective mix, and a fascinating glimpse into the methods used to undo the damage some of these dogs have suffered.
There is a brief mention of Best Friends' origin in a group of seekers who "dropped out" during the 1960s. The history of the organization would be a story of its own, but this book is beautifully complete in its focus on today's work and the dogs who benefit from it. The society believes that kindness to animals leads to a better society, and this moving little book makes that goal seem both worthwhile and attainable. Well done, Dogtown!
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