Love Dogs ---Love Their Books!

Baby Beary, on his 1st day with us, missing his mama!

THE ART OF RACING 
IN THE RAIN 
by Garth Stein
          I loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end. The book is told from the POV of a beloved family pet, the dog Enzo, as he watches his loved ones go through trials, tragedies, and triumphs.
          I'm a dog lover. I love cats too! And all animals...I like them better than most people. LOL. This story touched me so deeply, because I'm blessed with a wonderful dog just like Enzo. Now I'm wondering what goes on in his head.
          I also connected with the racing aspect of the story. Instead of being a race car driver like Denny, my son raced motocross. I could empathize with Eve, Denny's wife, left at home with the child while her husband was off racing all over the country. For seven years, I was left alone every weekend for 9 months of the year. I could have gone to the races, but I just couldn't watch my son race after he was nearly killed in a crash when he was 14. I also understand the importance of sponsors. My son's passionate dream to be a pro-racer nearly bankrupted us and split us apart as a family. Unless you are beau-coup rich, it's pretty much impossible to get to the professional level in any kind of racing without a factory ride.
          The book is easy to read and fast-moving. It reminded me of that old classic Black Beauty, where a horse narrates the story of its life. For me, this was a five-star read and I recommend it to everyone.

FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE 
by Jay Kopelman
          © 2006 Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman should have known better! He did know better. The military has rules against it. According to General Order 1-A, service members are prohibited from adopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal in the foreign countries where they serve.
          But he falls in love with a 5-week-old abandoned puppy named Lava that a group of Marines had found in the ruins of Fallujah during the first week of U.S. military operations there.
Knowing that he would be returning stateside soon, Kopelman just couldn’t leave his little buddy behind. He had to find a way to smuggle Lava out of war-torn Iraq and get him safely home to California.
          He began sending out emails begging for help. News journalist Anne Garrels, in Baghdad reporting on the elections, kept Lava with her when Kopelman was sent to the Syrian border. Eventually, several groups such as the Helen Woodward Animal Center of San Diego, Military Mascots, and Iams Pet Food Company came to his aid. With the help of Vohne Liche Kennels and Triple Canopy Security, private contractors who train and provide canine service dogs for the military, Lava was shipped out of Iraq as one of their bomb dogs returning stateside for some R&R. It’s absolutely amazing what these people had to go through to make this happen.
          This isn’t just a story about a dog, though. It’s a nitty-gritty, often gruesome account of serving in Iraq in the war on terrorism, as seen through the eyes of a Marine stationed there during the worst of the fighting. Kopelman finds out that he’s not the only soldier trying to get his adopted pet out of the war zone and back to America. But for every dog that Military Mascots was able to rescue, a dozen more had to be abandoned as soldiers moved on to other assignments. Lava was a very lucky dog to have made it out alive.
          This is a short, fast-paced read that I just couldn’t put down. It’s a wonderful story about love, separation, loyalty, set-backs, frustrations, danger, perseverance, and ultimately victory for one special pup and the soldier who loves him.

A DOG YEAR
by Jon Katz
          ©2002 The true story of a year in the life of a dog lover, who already has two wonderful, gentle, saintly older Labs. Then he gets roped into adopting an unwanted, hyperactive, head-strong Australian Shepherd named Devon. The “Helldog” turns his life upside down and tries his patience to its very limits, but he refuses to give up on the little dog with a big heart.
          This book was especially meaningful to me because I have a big lummox of a German Shepherd who tries my patience every day, but I still love him to pieces. The book gave me some ideas on better dog handling, as well as warnings about what doesn’t work when trying to train headstrong canines.
          I recommend this book to all dog lovers, but especially to wannabe dog owners. As the author cautions: Know what you’re getting into before bringing that adorable puppy home. Not everyone is cut out to be a pet owner, which is why we have so many abandoned dogs and cats in animal shelters. This story proves that even the most difficult rescue dog can be rehabilitated with enough love, patience, and a working knowledge of dog/pack behavior.