Customer Reviews

Found Dogs: Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first picked up this book, at the library, when I was borrowing a breed identification guide, to try to identify the small, red, muscular, angry and frightened dog that appeared in our yard. It turned out that he was a Min Pin, a very abused one. The obvious previous mistreatment of this dog and his, resulting, very aggressive and fearful behavior made me question weather or not we could help him. Then, that evening I found myself sitting quietly on the couch, reading this wonderful book and suddenly I was joined by our "found dog". He cautiously curled up on my lap (our first positive interaction!) and I (carefully at first) pet him and read, all evening. By the end of the book, we had bonded. It wasn't an easy journey, but we made it. It has been four years and he is one of the smartest, funniest, most loving dogs we have ever known. We can't imagine our life without him.
This is a teriffic book for anyone who has adopted a rescued dog (or is thinking about it). It gives wonderful inspiration!

This is a wonderful book, buy one as a gift and one to keep for yourself. I bought it as a gift for a friend who volunteered at our local shelter. The volunteers are true heroes, and so are the ordinary people highlighted in this book. After reading this book, I knew it was a keepsake I could not part with. One page stories of extraordinary bonds between owners and the homeless dog they took the risk to adopt make for easy reading that you can pick up, put down, and walk away feeling better about the world. This book is the finest gift for the dogs lover in your life as well as the volunteers at the shelter, your beloved veterinarian, the Dog Control Officer that saves the dog lost in traffic, for your favorite dogsitter, and for anyone who understands there are wonderful dogs out there in need of a home and a person to love. The best part is, profits from the book benefit animal related organizations and shelters. You will feel better having read this book, and a homeless dog somewhere will benefit.

I was afraid to order this book at first because I am such a huge animal lover and get very distressed when I hear stories about animals who have been abused or abandoned. I literally get nightmares when I read about animals who are suffering and I wasn't sure if this book would be more upsetting then pleasurable since I knew many of the dogs would have tragic tales before adoption. My experience with this book: got it today, sat down on the sofa with it and simply could not put it down. I read every story and even though many of them were tragic they really didn't dwell on the horrific past in a way that made me uncomfortable. I did cry but they were slow, blissful tears that often melted into the edges of an unforseen smile. These stories are some of the most uplifting, gorgeous stories I have ever read and the photos that accompany them are beautiful, often spontaneous portraits of owners embracing their saved animals. In every furry face you can see the joy and the gratitude and the extinguished pain. They are saved and they are home and it burns your eyes and warms your heart and leaves you shivering in goose pimples. I am SO glad I decided to order this book! It's a must have for anyone who loves dogs.

I love this book so much that I decided to donate a copy of it to my local public library in memory of my sweet doggie-man, Forrest.
I've owned it for years and have read it several times- it never gets old.
I am glad to see they have come out with a second edition, I will definitely be buying it very soon!

"Found Dogs" recounts numerous success stories of dogs winding up with new, caring owners after being strays, rescued, or otherwise finding a suitable human. The editor Elise Lufkin and photographer Diana Walker document these success stories with pithy narratives that capture the human perspective and revealing black and white photos that say more about the dogs than the people. Taken together, the text and images reveal convey the strength of the bond between humans and dogs and vice versa.

The book runs the gamut from small to large, pure bred to mutt dogs, and, likewise, captures a good portion of the human spectrum from blue collar workers to celebrities, from young to old, and from those already savvy about canines to neophyte owners.

A trend that recurs in many of the tales is that bringing a new dog home requires work, patience, and understanding (those same qualities these dogs' previous humans lacked). The author provides a number of resources in the appendices for those who want to rescue or adopt a dog or learn more about training and recreation.

Certainly, Ms. Lufkin and Ms. Walker are preaching to the choir in a sense, but one hopes that anyone thinking of adding a dog to his or her family will perhaps check out a book like this one first to obtain a better sense of the rewards and effort that are the inherent, intertwined realities of responsible dog ownership.

This is an incredible book. I have owned it for several years and each time you pick it up to revisit its pages it makes your feel wonderful all over again. If you aren't a dog lover, you will be after you read this book. It stays on my coffee table in the den and has been the topic of many interesting conversations with fellow dog lovers. I guess this book is so close to my heart because we are fortunate enough to have a "found dog". I am looking forward to Ms Lufkin doing a second book and perhaps including our "Found" dog in it. Buy the book - you'll be glad you did.

This book will be a breath of fresh air for those dog lovers who hear a lot of stories about abused and neglected dogs. Although many of the dogs described have poor backgrounds, the incredibly kind hearts of the people who adopted them is a real inspiration. Up to reading this book, my wife and I were wondering whether we should adopt a second dog. This book has put our decision "over the top."

I can definitely relate to these stories - our own 'son' is a stray we adopted from The Animal Defense League. He was the only one our 'daughter' didn't lunge at, just growled at. She was used to being the boss and we had just put her sister to sleep recently. Three days after we adopted our son, the two were inseparable.

Believe me, strays definitely show how grateful they are for the second chance they've been given. The stories in this book show that. Sometimes it seems the people are the ones who need saving. If someone ever wanted to know how much saving a dog (or any other animal stray) can make a difference, READ this book. The story in the introduction is just wonderful. You won't be sorry and this family gives it 2 paws up :)

Elise Lufkin has managed, in her book Found Dogs, to move without cloying, to educate without preaching and to make us laugh. This book is a compilation of photos and stories of dogs who have been rescued by caring people and many of who have in turn "rescued" their new owners. These stories range from the amazing; the dog who can detect her owner's oncoming seizure, to the heartwarming; the dog who has they same big brown eyes as his owner's late husband. Diana Walker's photographs capture the connection between each "found dog" and his savior. She shows not only the uniqueness of the dogs but also the varied roles they play in their owner's lives. Useful information on adopting and adapting to a pet is provided. This book is a must for all the animal lovers on your Holiday gift list.

This book is full of great stories that show the great benefits of sharing your life with a rescued dog. It also is a great read. I've had my copy for years and there are stories that still make me cry.