Customer Reviews

One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Afghanistan

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pen Farthing was a British marine with a big heart. Deployed in one of the worst places on Earth, Afghanistan, he befriends a number of stray dogs, some of which had previously been used for vicious dogfighting events by the local Afghans. Pen's book relates how he found and took care of these dogs, and how they also took care of him through providing friendship and and reprive from all the misery and danger that he was embroiled in. You can't help falling in love with these hapless dogs. This is a great read, with only one minor exception. Since it was originally published for British readers, it contains a lot of British slang that most American readers won't be familiar with. But the context of this slang is obvious, so it doesn't detract from the great story.Pen's experience with the strays of Afghanistan led to his starting a rescue organization to help save other strays. What a noble pursuit, and what a great human being Pen Farthing is. Anyone who loves dogs will enjoy this great book, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Pen Farthing demonstrates the demands of being in the military, serving overseas, and what a typical day is like defending everyone's freedom in such vivid detail that you can almost imagine yourself there. He also does an excellent job describing what it takes to keep one's self from going to bonkers while doing an extremely stressful and dangerous job. His telling of rescuing "outcasts", as they are in afghanistan, is so compelling and heartwrenching that you ache for both the writer and the companions he continuously rescues. It is a very addictive read and makes the reader wanting to come back for more. I would like to read more his writings as they are awesome stories. I wish him luck with all of his endevors and wish I could do something to help those he is trying to help himself. God Bless you Pen!!

Excellent book for lovers of dogs and animals in general. One man's volunteer efforts to save the stray dogs in Afghanistan. An easy read. An inspiring book.

I came across this at my local public library and read it all the same day. Others have accurately described the contents so I will just add that Pen Farthing's love for dogs really shines through.

I was a little apprehensive that a book about wartime in Afghanistan would be really painful to read. There were some sad parts, of course, but the way dogs were dogs, and the warmth and humanity of the author, made the book a very worthwhile read. One of the things I most enjoyed was how one dog adoption led to a huge change in the author's life.

I'll say first off that I have worked in Afghanistan and I have quit reading several books written about Afghanistan a chapter or two in. It's a very complicated country and few can capture what I felt when I was there. This book captures the reality of the country, especially as it relates to some of the most vulnerable and invisible in that society: its dogs.

This book is very moving and easy to read. It shows how dogs (and the same goes for most pets) can bring out the best in humanity even in the most violent and extreme circumstances. I recommend it very highly and when you finish reading the book, you will be so glad you bought it: part of the proceeds from the book goes back to this amazing organization, Nowzad, rescuing pets in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I found this book by accident - news item on Australian news wanted sponsorship to bring an Aussie soldier's Afghan dog back to Australia - result i found the Nowzad website and decided to buy the book to find out more. An easy read, inspirational story that is still ongoing bringing dogs back "one dog at a time". Not a cheap option and fraught with danger for all concerned but if you love dogs this is a great read. I ended up donating to the actual Nowzad foundation in memory of my daughter's partner's dog which has just died.

I sort of feel bad for "only" giving this book 4 stars. The one and only reason I didn't is because I usually try to give "fives" to "super" books.

This author had a goal in mind of what kind of book he wanted to write and he hit it out of the park--perfect. So, what I'm saying is that this book is perfect in it's own way.

The book deserves a read if not just to reignite a little hope in the homo sapiens species. The author's compassion and toughness come through. I initially had some reservations as to why he put in so much about his day-to-day activities. After a while I figured it out: he wanted to put us there in his shoes. What would we have done in the same situation? How far would we have gone to help these poor homeless abused dogs?

The heroism of the author comes through (and with humility at that!) The dogs are portrayed beautifully. I felt like I knew the dogs even though they were half-way around the world from me.

Great job. Indeed, perfect.

I truly enjoyed the book. Of course, reading about saving innocent dogs and the relationships between men and dogs is always heart warming. But this book goes further. You learn what life is like for the men at war. Every war is different and Farthing lets you know how it feels to be in Afghanistan. The moment that sticks out for me is when they cannot find the dog after a loud attack and he ends up in the barracks under a bed. As tough as some of these dogs (and men) appear, war leads to insecurity and the desire for safety.

This was the most wonderful and uplifting (a little sad at times). I read very quickly and bought a second copy for a friend who read in 2 days and loved it! I can't wait to read his next book - No Place Like Home! It is great that there are still people out there doing great things for animals!