Dogtown: tales of rescue, rehabilitation and redemption by Stefan Bechtel

Get out your hankies.

Dogtown: tales of rescue, rehabilitation and redemption by Stefan Bechtel tells the story of 15 homeless, unwanted, unprotected, but not unlovable dogs and the amazing work done by the Best Friends Animal Society. This no-kill shelter, located in Utah, is in the enviable position of being well-funded, enabling them to spare no-expense in rehabilitating dogs that would not make it in a regular shelter. No dog is hopeless. If not adoptable, Dogtown makes a commitment to keep the dog in comfortable and healthy surroundings for life.

Of course, no dog comes to Dogtown for happy reasons. Best Friends responded to abandoned pets in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Dogs rescued from a notorious dog fighting operation were deemed hopeless by other shelters and were court-ordered to Dogtown's care. Aged, sick pets abandoned by callous owners, dogs themselves grieving because their families became too infirm to care for them and the many victims of puppy mills are all residents of Dogtown.

Believe it or not, while their origins are heart-breaking, each story is triumphant it its own way. Take Mr. Bones, for example. Mr. Bones was found wandering in Puerto Rico, starving and irritable. While fine with humans Mr. Bones was too aggressive toward other dogs to be adoptable. Dogtown became his home. His endearing nature inspired his own fan club. Holiday volunteers returned yearly to spend time with him. Finally after many years, Mr. Bones mellowed enough to be safe around other dogs. He finally found his forever home and was able to spend his remaining months in a comfortable family situation.

Animal lovers might also enjoy:

Izzy and Lenore: two dogs, an unexpected journey, and me by Jon Katz -"The author describes how a dog with an uncanny sensitivity toward ill and troubled humans, led him to to take on the difficult but rewarding job of hospice volunteer, while his acquisition of Lenore, a Labrador puppy, helped him overcome depression." - catalogue

A Lion Called Christian by Anthony Bourke -"In 2008 an extraordinary two-minute film clip appeared on YouTube and immediately became an international phenomenon. It captures the moving reunion of two young men and their pet lion Christian, after they had left him in Africa with Born Free’s George Adamson to introduce him into his rightful home in the wild." - publisher


Dewey: the small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron - "How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa." - publisher