Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart; Not of Breed [Paperback]

Karen Derrico (Author), Susan Chernak McElroy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 1999

Mutts, mongrels, mixed breeds, and unpedigreed dogs give more love and do more service than all purebreds combined. Pure of Heart Not of Breed honors these heroes of the canine world. Author Karen Derrico profiles both famous mutts in history and everyday mutts across America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: NewSage Press; Includes 135 B/W Photos edition (April 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939165341
• ISBN-13: 978-0939165346
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,293,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is unique, as are the mutts celebrated within it, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart; Not of Breed (Paperback)

What a book! What a book! What a book! A tribute to the "mutt"-- God's precious gift to us humans! Their love,intelligence, courage, loyalty ; their precious souls, are a shining tribute to the canine kingdom and to our Father's loving creation. So many times a mutt is a combination of the best of each breed.

The stories in this book are a celebration of these wonderful animals and their relationship to those of us humans who have been lucky enough to share one-- or more. Hopefully this book will inspire many people to adopt from animal shelters.

This reviewer has had the joy of four wonderful, dear small mutts, mainly mixed terrier. They are now in Heaven, and the pain of separation cuts deeply.

But in spite of the hurt of this separation, I know that we will be together again when it is my turn to "cross over".

I would like to share with you my recommendation of three books, all of which can do a great deal to assuage the grief one feels at losing a beloved pet/companion/"child":

The first is The Soul of Your Pet-- this book gives solid, credible evidence of animal afterlife; there are many stories of people's interactions with pets that have passed on; many cannot be "explained away"; an example would be of a vet that is called on to treat a sick horse and sees a ghost horse near it- formerly owned by the people who call her out. She has never been there before. Hardly a "grief-induced hallucination" as the owner don't even see it. They recognize it when the vet describes it to them. A mother and daughter are with their cats in a room; their former pet walks in through the wall; both women see it and the living cats chase it out of the room. The recountings in the book are happy ones; the people are brought great comfort by seeing (hearing or feeling) again their departed pets. It is virtually impossible to be skeptical after reading several of these incidents.The idea of animals having souls is backed up biblically, as well.

The second book, For Every Dog an Angel, will melt your heart. Although written for children it is for everyone. The author wrote it after losing her "forever dog", Martha; she has had experiences that would fit with the above-mentioned Pet Souls book.

When a puppy is born we are told an angel comes to be with it throughout its life; when it bonds with its "forever person" it brings the angel much joy; when it is time for it to go to the "Other Side" its angel becomes its bridge. Sometimes it crosses back over the angel bridge to visit; the child is told to listen for pawsteps when going for a walk, or look for covers rumpling on the bed; the children love it! Finally, when it is our turn to "cross over" our forever pet is waiting to greet us and there is a joyeous reunion. I will not likely tire of re-reading its charmingly-illustrated 32 pages, and I'll bet you won't, either! If your child has lost a pet-- or is likely to--please get this book!

The third book, Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates is a Christian book, wonderfully done; it is truly inspired.

Unforgettable Mutts will bring much pleasure to its readers and will touch the heart deeply; the other three books will bring much comfort and happy anticipation.

A few years ago, there was practically nothing to help those of us grieving over pet loss; now we are finally beginning to get what we need; understanding of how deeply-bonded we can become to our canine (and other companion animal) friends.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable Mutts, March 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart; Not of Breed (Paperback)

This book is pure joy. For those of us who have loved our dogs, the stories tug at your heart strings. Karen Derrico captures each dog's story with a peek into other dog owner's heart and how much they loved their special friend. Thank you for writing a book that has been so long in coming, and so beautifully written. This one is a must for dog lovers, pet lovers, and anyone who has ever had that special bond with their pet.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Title Says It All, December 8, 1999

By 

Colleen Gasiorowski (Bensalem, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart; Not of Breed (Paperback)

The title of this book truly says it all. These dogs are unforgettable. The best thing about this book is the memories it brought back to me of my childhood friend and mutt, Pokey. Since adulthood, I have always owned fullbred dogs, one rescued from a shelter, but still not the adorable mutt. After reading this book, I think of all of the love and devotion Pokey gave my family, and I am proud to say that she was a mutt. For those who own mutts, read the book and celebrate their uniqueness. For those who own pedigrees, read it anyway. It is full with stories of the love and joy only a dog can give. My only criticism is that it is too short. I could have read 100 more stories.