To the Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission [Hardcover]

Elise Lufkin (Author), Diana Walker (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

Another hit from the champions of rescued dogs, author and photographer of bestsellers Found Dogs and Second Chances.

Elise Lufkin and Diana Walker once again present a moving collection of profiles, in beautiful, duotone photographs and moving text, of dogs that have found new lives after being “throw away” dogs. Each dog (and one cat) profiled has had a rough past, suffering abuse or extreme neglect at the hands of humans.

Some dogs featured here have become therapy dogs for hospitals and nursing homes; reading partners for children; friends to at-risk teens and the injured in veterans affairs hospitals; service dogs for the deaf and blind; arson dogs; and even search-and-rescue dogs. Some of these special dogs are disabled, blind, deaf, missing limbs, but they don’t seem to know it. These spunky, happy animals have repaid the kindness of their rescuers in spades, bringing the therapy of love to people in need, sometimes even saving lives. 55 color illustrations (duotone)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In their third collaboration, Animal adoption activist Lufkin (Not Bartlett's) and Time magazine photographer Walker profile the adoptive owners of working dogs, 53 in all, who serve the public and law enforcement officials as certified therapy animals, guides for the disabled, bomb detectors, drug sniffers, and other roles: Rusty is a Golden Retriever mix who visits second graders in an English-as-a-second-language class; Roxy helps her wheelchair-bound owner by opening containers and doors; Micah is a white German shepherd who aids emergency officials in search and rescue situations. Long-shot stories abound, such as the tale of Sophia, a Mexico City street dog who wound up in the U.S., bringing comfort to hospice patients; tissues required. Beginning with a foreword by actor and talk show host Bonnie Hunt, each warm, heart-felt story builds on the last, and includes fitting photos (though readers may wish they were bigger and more numerous). This feel-good book should please animal- and dog-lovers, especially those who live with a working dog.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In this beautifully illustrated, uplifting book, author Lufkin and photographer Diana Walker team up again to tell the stories of rescued dogs (and one cat). Like their previous books (Found Dogs, 1997; Second Chances, 2005), this one presents a collection of essays about rescued dogs, illustrated with black-and-white photos. The dogs’ stories are told in the first person by their owners, revealing what is known of their backgrounds and what they are doing today. All of the dogs are workers—some as therapy dogs for hospice patients, mental patients, or children in read-to-the-dog programs; others are search-and-rescue dogs or assistance dogs. We read of abused dogs who learned to overcome their traumatic pasts, amputees that bring hope to wounded soldiers, and timid dogs that have blossomed into love sponges. Their owners often tell of how the dogs have changed their lives or the lives of others. Photojournalist Walker’s snapshots show each dog doing what he or she does best. Oh, and that one cat? She’s a double amputee who loves to visit hospice patients and is a wonderful listener when she’s read to. --Nancy Bent

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; 1st ed edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602397724
• ISBN-13: 978-1602397729
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #348,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ, November 27, 2009

By 

Ann Allyn Slessman "Annie" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To the Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission (Hardcover)

TO THE RESCUE
Found Dogs With a Mission
Elise Lufkin
Photographs by Diana Walker
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-60239-772-9
$19.95 - Hardback
Reviewer: Annie Slessman

My husband and I are big time dog lovers with three of our own. We have owned many dogs over the years and many of them have been rescued dogs. There is always a story behind a rescue animal. It was with great interest that I picked up the latest book by Elise Lufkin with photographs by Diana Walker called TO THE RESCUE, Found Dogs with a Mission.

Within the pages of this work you will find many stories of rescue dogs, their owners and how the dogs have made a difference in the lives of many. Ms. Lufkin starts her stories with Bailey, a golden retriever, who was almost starved to death before he was rescued by a victim's advocate, specializing in child abuse who ultimately trained Bailey as a cadaver dog. One of Bailey's jobs was working the remains of the horrific 9/11 disaster.
She continues on with great stories of rescued dogs in ever breed who have found themselves working within their respective communities in varied occupations. Whether they are working as therapy dogs with children, the elderly or those who are hospitalized, these dogs have been taken from terrible conditions, loved and they in return have shown their appreciation by servicing those in need.

The stories in this work are beautifully, but simply told. The pictures are heartwarming and thoughtful images that will warm the reader's heart.

Any dog owner will enjoy this book and will find themselves nodding in agreement and smiling throughout the reading process. It is a great book to share with others and would make a great gift for any occasion. I would venture to say that children of reading age would also enjoy this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Biased Review, October 26, 2009

By 

W. M. McLaughlin "Constant Reader" (Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission (Hardcover)

N.B.: This is not an unbiased review. Please take a large grain of salt before continuing to read.

(pause for effect)

OK, here goes:

First the usual stuff about a book purchase from Amazon: I ordered a couple of copies some weeks back, and they finally got here today. OK, I did order them before the publisher released them, but that is just being picky. They arrived in good condition. There are beautiful black and white photos throughout, and they are well presented on glossy paper.

As a previous reviewer noted, the main text is about 53 animals, mostly dogs, and how they survived over early difficulties and then went on to help people, real people who really needed help.

There is some front matter about how and why the stories were chosen, and some really good back matter about how to, and why to ... or why not to get involved yourself.

The main text is well organized and written. The style varies between sections, which is to be expected since each was written by a different person. With 53 chapters or sections it is easy to read for a short bit, put it down, and read more later. Which doesn't explain why I read it straight through this afternoon. At first I wasn't sure how it was organized, but the author's method became clear when I finished the book.

The main text is interesting and entertaining, but the back matter has a lot of reference information that will be of continuing value to anyone interested in pets, especially dogs, or to anyone interested in assisting people to improve their lives. It turns out to be a two-way street. People help dogs who help people.

If you are interested in reading about such people and such dogs, you will like "TO THE RESCUE, Found Dogs with a Mission."

Oh yes, about how it was organized. Simple.

They saved the best part for last. I just counted, and we have six (6) photos of one of the dogs on our refrigerator. We have known that dog for years. He comes to our house to dispense love (and fur) for Christmas every year, and we visit him at his home a couple of times a year. And, we have known his owner for many years more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 52 outstanding dogs and even an amazing cat!, October 22, 2009

By 

Jay McLaughlin "Jay McLaughlin" (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission (Hardcover)

All of the dogs in this book are rescues, coming from a variety of unusual (and often unsavory) backgrounds. They were all "throwaways" but they've gone on to help people in a remarkable variety of ways. The different ways these dogs help people was what surprised me most - search-and-rescue dogs, therapy dogs, teachers aides, cadaver dogs, even dogs with a company called "K-9 Detectives" that hire out to hotels and apartment buildings to sniff out bedbugs! And that's only a small slice of the 53 animals in here. All of the stories are told in the first person by the owners. The photography is stunning - it has to be seen to be believed. There are also four very helpful appendices: "Adopting a Dog," "To Get Involved," "Activities to Share and Organizations of Interest," and "Recommended Reading." This book definitely makes my personal "Recommended Reading" list!