Customer Reviews

Search and Rescue

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

 

 

Being and animal lover it was more than anything the stories about the bonds forged between the dogs and their "persons" that drew me in. I'd always looked at dogs sniffing through rubble and thought "that's all there is." How wrong I was. Search and Rescue gave me a glimpse into the years long training, the poignant and oftimes funny adventures, the sacrifices and fortitude on the part of both person and dog that it takes to do this work. I was fascinated by the interactions between peoples of all nationalities, how they worked together all over the world, and the inside workings of the governments behind the scenes. What touched me the most was what Search and Rescue came to mean to one courageous woman and her three white German Shepherds. Search and Rescue will bring smiles, tears and understanding to all who read it.

I enjoyed this book VERY much since I do search and rescue but THIS IS NOT A TRAINING BOOK but a true story of a woman and her two dogs. if you are looking for a training book I would suggest the the book by Susan Bulanda called "Ready, the training of a search and rescue dog" it is a very good book. I used it to train my current SAR dog. Happy Searching!!!

I expected more technical information about training dogs, but was captivated by the stories and adventures. I wish there had been pictures of the White Shepherds. My 10 year old and 12 year old (boy and girl) liked the book very much.

The stories in this book could almost stand on their own. I can't imagine doing this dangerous and time consuming work for free, and for so many years! The copy of the book I got has a White Shepherd on the front, much more interesting than the picture shown here. I read it all in one night, couldn't put it down!

I had been hoping for a more happy read. I know that not all search and rescues end happily but this book has many grim endings and some graphic details. I had a hard time reading certain sections and can't imagine what it was like for Beth Barkley to live them.

Because of her amazing courage and perseverence I could not put the book down. I'm glad I read it but I don't think it is a book I would re-read because it is so sad.

It doesn't have anything to do with reviewing the book but I came away wondering why on earth someone willing to face machine guns, hostile populations and sleeping in a tent in an Armenian winter had to worry about whether she could afford to take off work to go on these missions of mercy. You couldn't pay me enough money to do what she does. Why should anyone have to use their vacation time and be set back financially to do this?