Customer Reviews

One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter

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The collaborative effort of former animal shelter workers and animal rights activists Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer, One At A Time: A Week In An American Animal Shelter is a true account of seven days in an animal shelter, featuring profiles of the pets taken in during that span of time. Presenting the truth of life and death in an animal shelter in unvarnished, uncompromising terms, and featuring black-and-white photographs as well as the stories of the canines and felines taken in, One At A Time is an emotionally moving and profound piece recommended to the attention of anyone who has every been graced with the company of an animal companion -- or who would like to be.

This book has created a profoundly moving experience in my life. The authors are not shy nor do they gloss over the plight of shelter animals. "Pedigreed" pets may be nice for some, but many do not realise the needs of a shelter animal. Being a home-rescuer and foster-guardian myself, I was able to identify with the plight of the abundance of strays and how to help them. After reading the book, I also learned why animals do what they do in a shelter environment. An aside: I certainly was not prepared for the chapter on Euthanasia, but I am glad that it is there.

This book deserves to be in every vet's office across the country. I have started to purchase extras for my vets, and anyone who would listen. Please note also that the book provides ways you, too, can help raise awareness of this crucial need.

One at a Time sends a powerful message through the stories of individual animals who are homeless and in crisis. It is the finest example I have ever read on the topic of unwanted/homeless animals in our society and the shelters that accept all dogs and cats brought to their doors. Each animal's story and accompaning photograph provides a greater understanding of why millions of wonderful dogs and cats become homeless. In addition, One at a Time gives us hope by empowering individuals to facilitate change through simple acts of responsibity and kindness.

If every petlover (who in the past purchased a dog or cat) read One at a Time, their next opportunity to obtain a pet would result in a visit to their local shelter. Everyone who has an interest in animals, including breeders, no-kill advoctes, and public officials, will gain a greater understanding of the life saving services shelters provide.

This book had me in tears after just several pages. When describing it to several people, I was asked why I would want to torture myself by reading such tragic stories. The answer is that every pet owner (past and present)in the country NEEDS to read this book. It should be required. Too many people just don't know what happens when they don't spay/neuter their dogs and cats, or when they drop off their pets at a shelter because they are moving, or "tired of the animal," or some other unacceptable reason for giving up a pet. A pet is a lifetime responsibility, and everyone needs to be aware of that. If I sound angry, it's because I am. After reading this heartfelt book and seeing the beautiful faces of these animals with so many sad stories, you can't help but feel some anger. Yes, there were wonderful stories too. And the warm-hearted shelter workers who do their best deserve gold medals for their courage and ability to stick it out. I can only hope and pray that things get better for our animal friends in the future.

As I read Merilee Geyer and Diane Leigh's incredible book, "One At A Time", I re-visited my many years in animal shelters and realized that this book puts life back into all the animals I've known who've given their lives as a result of irresponsible guardianship. This is a book to share. This is a book to cherish. This is a book that pays hommage and tribute to the millions of animals that loved and lost. This is a book that celebrates those that found new love and companionship.

This important, profound, and profoundly moving book is ultimately about love, love for the creatures with whom we share our days. Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer have created a book that both reveals the tragedy of our relationships with nonhumans and the triumphs that these relationships can be. I am deeply grateful to them for making this book.

I read it in one night . . tears pouring down my face! How could a book do this to me? Because it's real . . . it's true! Some of the truths in this book are shameful. This book is unforgiving. This needed to be written . . . and it needed to do done with this much dignity and heart. Compassion . . kindness, why is it so hard? This book yanks at your emotions to teach us compassion . . it allows the animals to teach compassion to us through their lives and yes, deaths. Hopefully their lives will not be in vain, and we can learn compassion in their honor to not only other animals, but maybe they can show us that all lives are important. From shelters where animals are victims to injustices to Rwanda / Darfur and the like. This book is absoltely incredible. Thanks to the writers who had the balls to write it and then fight hard to get it on the streets. Thanks to the beautiful souls of the animals.

This is a very brave book. It tells the ugly truth in a compassionate, caring way. The thought that really gets to me me is that this is the account of only one week in one shelter. I agree with another review that mentioned the fact that this book may not reach those that need to read it most. However for all animal lovers it offers, as these lovely ladies mention, the oppurtunity to bear witness to the suffering. To shed tears for those precious animals that lost their lives through no fault of their own. If you love animals read it. It may just spur you into action.

I volunteer in an animal shelter in Australia. A vet at the shelter loaned me a copy of One at a Time: A Week in an Americal Shelter as she thought I would appreciate the content. Appreciate is an understatement...what I thought was exclusive to our shelter proved to me that the reality of these animals circumstances is a worldwide epidemic NOT exclusive to Australia. The stories are written with honesty and in an uncomplicated fashion accompanied by touching photographs. These animals and their circumstances could be at my shelter. In many ways I found this read comforting, however, if you're not already working or volunteering within a shelter environment, it could be quite confronting. I bought several copies to share amongst colleagues at our shelter.

As a former shelter worker, I can attest: Marilee Geyer and Diane Leigh have put together probably the best snapshot of life (and death) in a typical US animal shelter. The stories of these animals are at once moving, sweet, heart-breaking, anger-inspiring and joyful.

How we treat the animals in our lives is the clearest window into our souls. In unblinking, no-holds-barred prose, Geyer and Leigh tell the stories of these animals--forgotten, abused, abandoned--and the people who care for them.

If you're thinking of adopting an animal, buy this book. If you're thinking of buying a dog or cat rather than adopting from a shelter, buy this book first. If you're anyone who has ever shared your life with a companion animal, buy this book.