Category Books

DogTown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Redemption »

Authors: Stefan Bechtel
ISBN-13: 9781426205620, ISBN-10: 1426205627
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Date Published: October 2009
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Stefan Bechtel

Stefan Bechtel is a veteran storyteller, a founding editor of Men's Health; and a contributor to Esquire and the Washington Post;and the author of seven books on conservation, health, investment, and severe weather, including Roar of the Heavens, a chronicle of the fury of Hurricane Camille. His books have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into eight languages.

Book Synopsis

Now in paperback, this companion to the hit National Geographic Channel show, DogTown, tells the moving stories of homeless dogs and their caretakers at the Best Friends Animal Society, evoking both the joy and the occasional, but inevitable, heartbreak that accompanies the important work of saving homeless dogs.
Focusing both on the relationships between dogs and people and on the latest discoveries in animal health and behavior, the book features 12 of DogTown's most memorable cases. Each chapter follows one dog —often considered unadoptable by other shelters —from the first days at DogTown, through assessment and treatment, to the whether the dog finds a "forever home" outside the shelter. Photographs of each dog trace its entire journey and chart its progress from beginning to end. DogTown's veterinarians, trainers, and experts who are featured on the show contribute essays on their most meaningful moments in working with animals.

Publishers Weekly

Utah's Best Friends Animal Society, home of the National Geographic Channel series "Dogtown," is the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary, tending to some of the most unwanted, hard-to-rehabilitate dogs in animal rescue services. This collection of stories recounts and follows up on 15 of the most memorable dogs to appear on "Dogtown," including a grieving Weimaraner who needs a new family to love, an elderly Chow Chow with a mysterious neurological condition, and a shy pit bull suffering from popular misconceptions of breed brutality. The stories are told with much contribution from the passionate, patient staffers, and run alongside a charming collection of photos showcasing the dogs at their most expressive. Animal lovers will have a hard time putting this down, though dog lovers in particular should keep the tissues handy. 65 b&w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Foreword Mickey Rourke vi

Introduction Faith Maloney viii

Chapter 1 Georgia 1

Chapter 2 Ava 23

Essay: Becoming a Dog Person, Patti lampietro, DVM 36

Chapter 3 Aristotle 41

Chapter 4 Bingo 57

Essay: A Is for Atticus Pat Whitacre 70

Chapter 5 Parker and Mei Mei 75

Chapter 6 Annie 93

Essay: Jenny's Gift Sherry Woodard 108

Chapter 7 Tuffy 115