Secure Dogs And Underdogs: Finding Happiness At Both Ends Of The Leash Depicted By Elizabeth Abbott Displayed In Mobi

all the dogs :' ltA wonderful read for dog lovers and everyone else, Thanks to Goodreads First reads for the chance to read this amazing book! This book is very inspiring and reminds us of how deeply and positively animals impact our lives as well as how we need to do the same for them.
The authors experiences are very real, emotional and motivational, I loved this book and would highly recommend it for anyone to read! First it gets triple bonus points for having me all teary eyed in the Honda waiting room.
This memoir was a glorious voyage of courage and depth, understanding and determination, Its amusing and honest, sometimes this book cuts deep with its gritty truths but it is also full of hope and beautiful, kind people,

Throughout this memoir you will find Abbotts own story of how she rescued not one, but many dogs, she will bring you amusing and lovely tails did you see what I did there.
She also hits hard and gives us the cold reality of stray dogs, puppy mills, dogs that are not adoptable, dogs that only want a home to call their own.


Elizabeth Abbott made me realize many things while reading her memoir, I hadnt realized the complexity of a dogs needs, They get old too, they get cancer, they are plagued with various illnesses and they need an owner who is willing and able to provide that care.


I loved the way she talked about her dogs, I loved the way she described their personalities and reactions, she is just so in tune with her companions, Im in awe of this,

note : I received this book through the first reads program in exchange for an honest review

If you own a dog, have a dog, appreciate people who give their time to great causes then you will love this book.
And even if you dont own a dog I dont own one you will find the story of courage, determination and redemption one that will tug at your heart.
Elizabeth Abbott is a Canadian writer and historian she has a doctorate in nineteenthcentury history from McGill University, She is a former Dean of Women for St, Hilda's College at the University of Toronto, where she started a pet therapy program at Mount Sinai Hospital organizing volunteers and their dogs,

Abbott has always been an animal lover and has had numerous dogs and cats over the years, She was married to the brother of General Henri Namphy, who was installed as Haiti's president/military dictator in the lates, At that time, she was forced to flee back to Canada with her son, leaving her three dogs behind, It took two years for her to finally be able to bring Tommy, her elderly dog back to Canada, This experience led her to realize that she was meant to be a dog rescuer,

This book is about the author's pets over the years and what was involved in getting Tommy back home along with the conditions he lived in for those two years.
There are details about other rescues/rescuers she has met over the years including a prison where inmates rehabilitate shelter dogs for three months to make them adoptable she ended up adopting one and a couple women in Serbia who took in hundreds of homeless dogs Abbott helped to find homes in Canada for some of these dogs.


I enjoy reading books about animals and that's what attracted me to this one, At times it was tough to read because of the descriptions of conditions some animals have to live in and the rough treatment they receive.


Blog review post: sitelink teenaintoronto. com I've loved animal stories forever, I learned to read with the stories of Charles G D Roberts, Fiction titles, of course, like THE CALL OF THE WILD and KAZAN THE WOLF DOG remain Faves,

Truelife stories like Farley Mowat's THE DOG WHO WOULDN'T BE and John Grogan's MARLEY AND ME affected me even more, What makes them so memorable is that Farley's and John's books were as much about themselves as their dogs, And they became friends. The same for Elizabeth Abbott,

DOGS amp UNDERDOGS takes us through Elizabeth's life, From early life when just getting a dog of her own was a challenge, To her later relationships with assorted canines, From her homes in and around Montreal, to Haiti, Serbia, postKatrina New Orleans, cold prisons and hectic hospitals Elizabeth tells us about Sam, Sir Thomas Tom, Joey, Toussaint, Russell so many others.
And tells about real heroes, like Katija, the Serbian dog rescuer,

FIVE STARS INDEED!
Loved all the heartwarming stories about her rescue dogs, I had to skip over a few parts about Bonzi's abuser, because they were too hard to read, Some parts felt like there were too many names/dogs to follow, and I kept forgetting which dog was which! Maybe would have been a little better if she had just focused on a few of the most memorable dogs.
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads,

For as long as Elizabeth Abbott could remember, she has always been an animal lover, But when she moved to Haiti and had to leave her sweet dog, Tommy behind, her real mission in life had just begun, When she was finally able to reunite with Tommy it was clear to her that there were many many more 'underdogs' out there that needed a voice and Liz was up to the challenge.
Haiti had
many abandoned, injured dogs roaming the street and the cruelty she saw from not only adults, but children as well, inflicting pain on these innocent souls, set her gears in motion.
Whether it be the young or old, the sick or blind, the crippled or frightened enough dog that would bite Liz, she would never turn her back on them if she could in any way help them.
This book takes us on Liz's journey through many shelters, prisons, even post war Siberia and follows many volunteers and the huge sacrifices they make for our wonderful furry, voiceless friends.


While reading this book, I shed many tears, but it also warmed my heart at the many people who went over and above the call of duty to help these dogs just looking for a little food, and pat on their head and a place to lay their head at night.
In return they give us more love than one could possibly ask for,

Thank you Elizabeth Abbott for all the fabulous work you do and helping so many of God's creatures, A heartwarming look at how happinessand redemptioncan be found at both ends of the leash in all kinds of places Elizabeth Abbott had always been an animal lover, sharing her life with all kinds of dogs in need.
But when worlds collided and her beloved dog Tommy was left behind in Haiti, a new journey began: one that would take her to some very surprising places and ultimately teach her some essential truths about the power of hope and redemption.


From the soulless concrete corridors of an American prison to the halls of a Canadian hospital to life among the ruins in postwar Serbia, Abbott meets people whose lives are changed forever by a wagging tail and a pair of soulful eyesand dogs who find a new lease on life with devoted human companions.


Throughout Dogs and Underdogs, Abbott shares her own incredible and often amusing stories of rescuing dogs in need of shelter, friendship, and love: devoted Tommy, the inspiration who began it all irrepressible Bonzi, the beagle who charmed his way into prisoners hearts sweet Alice, the little mama who survived a puppy mill to be “mothered” by other dogs and many more.
With wit and passion, Abbott digs down into the deepest roots of the humananimal bond, showing us that together people and dogs can find hope and happiness.
I received this book as a First Reads via Goodreads in exchange for a complete unbiased review,

This started off as a heartwarming memoir of life of a woman and the dogs she lost, The author explained how as a child she wished for dog, but her parents wouldn't allow it, Once an adult Abbott had plenty of dogs, some more special that others, and she explored the life as a dog owner/parent which ever you prefer.
It is because of this memoir style beginning I give this book a three star: the writing is phenomenal, the stories tug the heart strings and the dogs come to life on the page.
How many of us have had dogs that have impressed upon our hearts for the rest of our lives because of their bravery, uncompromising love and loyalty

Unfortunately the book doesn't continue in that direction.
I have had extremely negative experiences with rescue organizations in the area that Abbott describes, When I was younger and my then long term partner and I wanted to get our first family dog, The rescues pointed out insulting things such as: lower than desired income, not married, living in an apartment, me being a fulltime student, Many passages in this book lit me with fury: the children of the possible adopters who were horrified when the dog had diarrhea on the deck they're children!, the distaste for a lower income man who could not afford to retrieve both of his dogs from the pound and chose only one, and the glorification of all rescue

efforts.
The world is much more complex than this short book realizes,

Rescues are a wonderful idea, filled with people who love animals to attempt to find them a home with a suitable family.
Unfortunately, my own experiences have made me bitter to the rescues in my area which in turn made reading this book less enjoyable, The dogs my now exboyfriend purchased because we were considered unsuitable for pet ownership are beautiful, lively BorderAussies who are loved and spoiled by their one owner.
My dogs are my children, my family, regardless of whether I am married, have high income or how angry they make me because they do!.


However, regardless of the content regarding rescues, the memoir of a woman who went from her first dog to finding meaning in life by helping other creatures is one that I enjoyed.
I thank Elizabeth for sharing her own personal stories of her dogs, immortalizing them as I wish I could do for my own, I also enjoyed learning about the Serbian street dogs and the efforts in their own home countries,

This is a book that will appeal to dog lovers, rescue believers, memoir enthusiasts, those who just like a good cry Tommy! What a sad story! and those of us who like pretty pictures to put names to the human and furry faces featured in the stories.
I received an ARC through Goodreads,

Wow, just wow! Such an inspirational memoir, The unwavering devotion and unconditional love of a beloved pet inspires countless people to go above and beyond, sometimes moving mountains to do what it takes to save and protect their beloved pets.


Getting a chance to read about the horrors and neglect that the dogs that Elizabeth has encountered, it's hard not to get emotional, especially when you read about the dogs' happy endings after a harsh start to life.
There are a lot of amazing people out there, who's tireless efforts rescuing every animal they can from being slaughtered or put down for being unadoptable, for deserves huge recognition for everything they have done and what they have sacrificed.


Every pet cat, dog, doesn't matter deserves a second, third and countless chances at happiness, After all, they don't let their past or disabilities get them down once they find their forever home or chance at redemption, Just like Bonzi, Pochi, and so many others to name,

Reading this book was heartwarming and heart wrenching, and it has certainly opened my eyes to the greater world of adopting and volunteering.
At the end of the day, it makes me want to hug my dog even closer and savour every moment we have, Enjoyed it very much especially the story about feisty little Bonzi who I have been seeing for years without knowing what horrors he had been through, . . A well written book about dogs in need of rescue and those who rescue them, It becomes clear that the two things are not always easy to distinguish, Interesting chapters on the beginning of the pet therapy program in hospice care and the work being done in prisons where the inmates train dogs so they become adoptable.
Redemption doesn't discriminate. sitelink sitelink sitelink.