A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere [Hardcover]

Jana Kohl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2008

When you meet Baby, the first thing you notice is her limp. She only has three legs, you see -- she lost one following years of mistreatment at a puppy mill. But spend a little more time with Baby and her irrepressible "Ma," Jana Kohl, and you'll hear the story of how this gentle creature has gone from puppy-mill victim to celebrity "spokesdog" -- hobnobbing with celebrities, lobbying politicians, and inspiring an entire movement to end the kind of animal abuse she suffered for so many years. Several years ago, Jana decided she wanted to buy a toy poodle. But the nightmarish conditions she was confronted with at a breeder's farm -- hundreds of dogs confined to small, dirty cages for their entire lives until they were killed for the crime of being too old to produce puppies -- opened her eyes to abuses in the world of commercial breeding. There are thousands of puppy mills all across the United States, and most of those cute little puppies in pet store windows are products of such nightmarish places. Jana knew this was a wrong she couldn't ignore. Her first step was to adopt a rescued adult dog instead of buying a puppy from a commercial breeder.And that's how she found Baby, a roughly nine-year-old poodle who had been locked in a cage. But Jana's mission didn't stop there. Soon, Jana and Baby (whose sweet face and three-legged hobble attract attention wherever she goes) found themselves speaking to groups about the terrible conditions at many breeders' farms and urging politicians to change the lax laws that regulate this industry. Today, Baby is the unofficial spokesdog for the Humane Society of the United States on the topic of puppy mills, and she and Jana travel around the country lobbying for reform on this important issue. A Rare Breed of Love contains more than sixty photographs of Baby with many of her high-profile fans, from Barack Obama to Judge Judy to Patti LaBelle, as well as original essays from luminaries such as Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem about the special love we all have for the pets in our lives. In this heartbreaking, compelling, and ultimately heart-warming book, Jana Kohl and Baby offer practical advice on what each of us can do to raise awareness, make a difference, and stop animal suffering everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jana Kohl is a writer, artist, psychologist, and an animal welfare advocate. Having worked for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies for many years, she has long been concerned with how cruelty becomes sanctioned by society. Kohl has testified before the Illinois State Legislature on the link between legalized violence against animals and interhuman violence. She has participated in numerous animal welfare campaigns, most notably to end the sale of foie gras in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Kohl currently resides on the West Coast with Baby and a cat named Kitty Pie, whom she also adopted.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 1 edition (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416564039
• ISBN-13: 978-1416564034
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jana Kohl, Psy.D. is a psychologist, author, speaker, artist and animal advocate who is concerned with legalized animal cruelty, namely that which occurs in every animal-based industry. After adopting a 3-legged puppy mill survivor named Baby, Dr. Kohl was inspired to write "A Rare Breed of Love." Baby and "the Ma," as Kohl is known, travelled the nation to raise awareness about puppy mills and the importance of adopting rather than buying dogs as a means to end the cruelty of the dog breeding industry. Kohl is currently at work on her second book, a tell-all about the corruption in Congress she witnessed over the past years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before you think of buying a dog, buy this book., June 4, 2008

By 

James C. Costa (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Hardcover)

A beautiful book about a dog named Baby who is a puppy mill survivor. The book
has great photos of Baby with celebs, politicians, and animal lovers. When you see
the love Baby shows throughout the photos you see that she has not lost her hope
in humanity. A perfect companion to anybody who saw the Oprah show on puppy mills and wants to learn more about it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once you open this book --- it will touch your heart!!!, June 23, 2008

By 

Leica Hound "WD" (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Hardcover)

I purchased this book on a trip to Costco - having no intentions to shop other than routine groceries --- then the CUTE dog on the cover compelled me to open and browse. Not only did I stop and look inside - I purchased 3 copies to give to my fellow animal lover friends.

This canine biography works on so many levels with the endearing photos of pro-animal activists and citizens - but most of all - telling the story from the point of view through Baby's eyes brings home the agony of the suffering caused by puppy mills. Credit should also go to the Oprah show for devoting air time to this sad subject giving it the attention it deserves with Lisa Ling's in-depth puppy mill profile. I believe Baby was a featured guest on that show - so I was moved to see the photos in this book.

Jana - Keep up the good work on your mission to educate people to the suffering inflicted by our fellow humans - I agree with Andy Rooney's quote - "the average dog is a nicer person than the average person" - how sad but true!

Buy this book to share with family and friends ... most of all don't forget to spay and neuter your pets.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for any animal lovers, June 11, 2008

By 

Stacy (CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere (Hardcover)

"A Rare Breed of Love" is coffee table type book - short stories/chapters, glossy pages, lots of wonderful photos. You can read it from beginning to end or skip to certain parts. The book centers around a three legged dog who came from a puppy mill and, with her owner, has gone on to become spokespeople (or "spokesdog") to fight puppy mills and why we should care about the treatment of animals.
I enjoyed both reading all the stories as well as looking at all the pictures of Baby with celebrities. The book starts with the story of Baby, her adoption story, an overview of puppy mills, and how Baby accidentally became a celebrity "spokesdog" against this horrible practice. The book continues with pictures of Baby and various politicians, celebrities, animal activists, etc. Along with the photos, most of the celebrities also tell a short story of their love of animals, why we should care about how we treat animals, etc. I have found myself drawn to this book and continuing picking it up every day since I purchased it last week. I plan to buy copies for other animal lovers in my life. Its a beautiful book that will surely touch your heart.