This sweet story about a girl named Alma and a stray dog named Lulu shows how a girl and a dog can rescue each other. Lulu’s ears flap in the wind as the rescue truck rolls into the lot. Lulu’s tail thumps— Everything smells . . . new. Lulu sleeps under the moon, drinking from mud puddles and is covered in ticks until she is rescued. She waits for the Operation Rescue Dog truck, scared and uncertain. Alma misses her Mami, who is far away in Iraq. Alma wears Mami's scarf around her like a hug. She wonders: Can a dog feel like a hug? In this heartwarming and moving picture book, a lonely child and a lonely dog come together and find warmth, companionship, and love in each other.
In 2015, Cara Achterberg’s Pennsylvania farm became a haven for Operation Paws for Homes, which rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the rural south and shuttles them north to foster homes. Nine puppies arrived with less than a day’s notice; a heart-worm positive dog; a deeply traumatized stray pup from Iraq; and countless others who just needed a gentle touch and a warm place to sleep. The stories of these remarkable dogs—including an eighty-pound bloodhound who sang arias for the neighbors—and the joy they bring to Cara and her family (along with a few chewed sofa cushions) fill the pages of this touching and inspiring book.When asked how she can possibly say goodbye to that many lovable pups, Cara says, “If I don’t give this one away, I can’t possibly save another.” Filled with humanity and hope, Another Good Dog will take the reader on a journey of smiles, laughs, and tears—and lead us to wonder how many other good dogs are out there and what we can do to help.
An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty. Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant's Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs. As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves, unleashing priceless hope. Includes an 8-page photo insert. Watch a video
Omar Rivera, an office worker who is blind, and his guide dog, Salty, were on the 71st story of the World Trade Center’s North Tower on the morning of September 11, 2001 when terrorists hijacked two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers. Omar’s coworkers raced to the stairway to escape the burning building. With chaos all around, Omar told his dog to guide him down the stairs. Would Salty be able to lead his owner to safety? In this book, young readers will meet the brave dogs that helped people during and after the deadly terrorist attack. From guide dogs that calmly led their owners to safety, to the 300 search-and-rescue dogs that used their powerful sense of smell to try to find survivors in the rubble, these incredible animals were part of the largest canine rescue operation in U.S. history. With true stories and full-color photographs of dogs working at Ground Zero, this book is sure to appeal to dog lovers everywhere.
For Zara’s dog, Moose, nothing is more important than being with his favorite girl. So when Zara has to go to school in her wheelchair, WHOOSH, Moose escapes and rushes to her side. Hello, Moose! Unfortunately, dogs aren’t allowed at school and Moose has to go back home. Goodbye, Moose. But Moose can’t be held back for long. Through a series of escalating escapes, this loyal dog always finds her way back to Zara, and with a little bit of training and one great idea, the two friends find a way to be together all day long.
True stories of dogs rescues by a national organization of volunteer pilots who fly pets to their new forever homes. Since 2008, an unlikely alliance of volunteer pilots and animal rescue enthusiasts has worked together to save thousands of death-row dogs by flying them to safe havens and better lives. Through two dozen accounts of real life animal rescues, Dog Is My Copilot tells the inspiring story of Pilots N Paws, America’s most unique and high-flying animal rescue organization. Founded “accidentally” when a private pilot offered to fly a mission of mercy to save an abused dog for a friend, Pilots N Paws has grown to include thousands of pilots who have transported tens of thousands of dogs slated for euthanasia (and a fair amount of cats and other animals), sometimes more than 1,000 miles away to new homes or no-kill shelters, where they have a much higher chance of adoption. These short, captivating stories are accompanied by more than 100 charming, poignant, color photos—most taken by the pilots themselves—of their canine passengers in flight. Unexpected things can happen when dogs reach cruising altitude, and the stories in Dog Is My Copilot run the emotional range from hilarious to heart rending—but the endings are always happy. These dogs are the lucky ones, and most of the pilots will tell you that when they get on the plane, they know it. After all, waiting for them on the ground hundreds of miles away is a second chance at a happy life with a loving forever family. Dog Is My Copilot—it's Chicken Soup for the Soul meets Marley and Me . . . with just a dash of The Right Stuff. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Pilots N Paws organization.
An unconscious woman trapped beneath the rubble after an earthquake. A backcountry skier caught in an avalanche and buried under tons of snow. A young child lost in the wilderness. In such situations the margin for error is razor thin, and having a well-trained search and rescue dog at the scene can be the difference between life and death. Resi Gerritsen and Ruud Haak should know. They trained search and rescue dogs for decades and took part in many rescue operations, and from their experience they developed their own unique training methods. This book covers everything from basic training for search and rescue dogs to specific methods for each type of search operation, including wilderness searches and disaster scenarios. They also include information on search preparation, safety, disaster operations coordination, the scent capabilities of dogs, and the history of canine search and rescue.
A panicked puppy in a Los Angeles shelter is deemed too terrified for adoption and scheduled to be killed. When a rescue volunteer frees her at the last minute, the little girl is 15 pounds underweight and covered with open sores, swollen ticks and thousands of fleas. Her ears are stuffed with blood and wax, her paws filled with concrete. The victim of severe neglect and confinement, her muscles are atrophied - even her tongue lolls in her mouth. It hurts her to walk more than a few feet, and she limps. She has chewed and licked through the skin on her limbs. Physical ailments can heal, but the greatest challenge will be to overcome what life has taught her about humans: that they are to be feared. Named Roo, the puppy is randomly assigned to a volunteer foster parent with neither special skills nor experience with fearful dogs who writes that he is, "just as scared as she is." Notes from a Dog Rescue in Progress is the emotional and inspiring true story of Roo's journey and the powerful bond formed as she and her foster parent develop the trust and understanding to address her fears and problems one at a time in an attempt to redeem an unredeemable dog.
A delightfully warm, encouraging story of a young girl and the special library dog who helps her develop patience, acceptance, and confidence as she learns to read, from award-winning author-illustrator Lisa Papp. Madeline Finn does NOT like to read. But she DOES want a gold star from her teacher. Except stars are for good readers, for understanding words, and for saying them out loud—things that Madeline Finn doesn't believe she can do. Fortunately, Madeline Finn finds a little help when she meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn't so bad, and when Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's okay to go slow—and, most importantly, to keep trying. Lisa Papp offers an inspiring and comforting story, perfect for new readers who just need a little confidence to overcome their fears.
No Buddy Left Behind unveils the life-altering relationships American troops serving in the Middle East have shared with the stray dogs and cats they've rescued from the brutalities of war. Overcoming monumental obstacles, Operation Baghdad Pups' program manager Terri Crisp makes it her mission to save these wartime “buddies,” get them out of danger, and bring them home to the soldiers who love them. How exactly does someone get animals out of a country at war when normal resources are lacking and every step of a plan to transport animals could get you arrested, kidnapped, or blown apart? As Crisp soon learns, each rescue mission from first to last is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience, and no animal is truly safe until its paws touch U.S. soil. Terri and her team have saved the lives of 223 dogs and forty-two cats befriended by military personnel since February 2008—and No Buddy Left Behind finally tells this story.
