Dogs: Funny Side Up! [Paperback]

Nola Lee Kelsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

From Utah’s Best Friend Sanctuary (featured on National Geographic’s Dogtown) to the temples of Northern Thailand, the uproarious yet bizarrely educational tales recounted in this collection offer an outrageously fresh perspective on the world of animal rescue. Not a typical collection of warm and fuzzy shelter dog tales for the soul, the satirical wit delivers a wildly irreverent ride through a life spent among man’s best friends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dogs: Funny Side Up! offers the plight of animal rescue organizations throughout the world delivered by the author’s trademark infectious wit and explosive candor. Kelsey’s personal stories of her adopted dogs and her work as a rescuer blend funny with fury, heart-warming and humorous yet also eye-opening for readers as they discover the emotional and difficult work of rescue organizations.”  —Joseph O. Patton, publisher, Capital City Free Press

“Her satirical style will cause you to double over in fits of laughter.”  —Karen Yekel, Hot Springs Star

Review

"Delightful! Worldly insightful! . . . Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs.

If you have any interest in animals, you'll like this book. If you're involved with animal rescue organizations, you'll love this book. Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Dog's Eye View Media (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980232325
• ISBN-13: 978-0980232325
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,765,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Zoologist/travel writer Nola Lee Kelsey is the creator of '700 Places to Volunteer Before You Die' and 'The Voluntary Traveler.' She is also the maniacal queen bee behind The Volunteer Before You Die™ Traveler's Network, in charge of fluttering about and pollinating every aspect of the network while making everyone around her a little bit nervous.

Over her past two decades Kelsey has worked as a dog caregiver for Best Friends Animal Society (Nat Geo Channel's 'Dogtown'), a reptile keeper, marine park trainer, penguin handler and a wildlife rehabilitator. She is also a self-confessed serial volunteer for global animal rescue organizations.

As Kelsey has meandered the globe, her humor and travel articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications from Reptiles Magazine to The Bangkok Post. Over the course of her life, Kelsey has been bitten by just about everything - twice! The final culprit was the writing bug. (According to Kelsey, this distant relative of the travel bug actually pumps ink into your veins while sucking your wallet dry.)

Kelsey is also the host of The Voluntary Traveler podcast, the Managing Editor of Dog's Eye View Media, a professional speaker and a published photographer with (and this is the only part that matters) a passion for educating people about volunteer travel opportunities and animal rescue.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful! Worldly insightful!, October 11, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

Delightful! Worldly insightful!

Quoting from the back cover:

"Welcome to a 'dog-gone' hysterical perspective born out of a life that has literally gone to the dogs. From Nat Geo's Dogtown to the temples of Northern Thailand, Kelsey's biting satire offers an outrageously fresh perspective on the world of animal rescue and a life spent among man's best friends."

My favorite chapter is titled So Ya Wanna Start a Sanctuary. Allow me to share the opening paragraphs with you:

"Many of us dream of starting our own animal sanctuaries. In my world you hear this fantasy so often you'd think shelters would be as common as pigeons in Balboa Park or Republicans in denial.

"After two decades of working at, and volunteering for, every ilk of animal rescue, in addition to attending seminars on founding sanctuaries, and driving past many more, I fancy myself quite knowledgeable on the basics of sanctuary operations. This is precisely why I don't start one."

If you have any interest in animals, you'll like this book. If you're involved with animal rescue organizations, you'll love this book. Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs.

Kaye Trout
Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative!, March 19, 2009

By 

J. Solares (IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

This is not just a well written book about dogs - but a very poignant look at them. The abuse some of them have suffered at the hands of human beings is unforgiveable. The author really makes you think about the injustices, as well as the wonderful part of owning a pet. I have shared this book with everyone in my office! A great read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, laugh, learn, October 28, 2008

By 

Alan Anderson (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

Although I am not particularly interesting in reading about dogs -- I read this book because I loved "Bitch Unleashed Revised!: The Harsh Realities of Goin' Country", also by Nola Kelsey. I am very glad I read "Dogs: Funny Side Up!". This book not only is filled with razor sharp wit and subtle wry intelligence; but, dog-gone-it, I actually learned a few things in spite of the fact that I normally read for fun rather than wisdom. The diverse spectrum of topics, settings, and situations keeps the essays interesting. I would give this truly original book five stars for people interested in the wide world of dogs, or four stars for the nonpet owners. Read it, laugh, gain new perspectives!