Rescuing
Penny Jane by
Amy Sutherland details the crime of having homeless dogs, and
those stuck in shelters. Any dog lover will go through a range
of emotions as Sutherland recounts anecdotes about dozens of
dogs, observations about the practices of various animal shelters,
as well as interviews with their operators and animal behaviorists.
She noted, "The primary reason I wrote my book is to give
people an understanding of how the shelter world works. I want
them to beware of pet stores that will put dogs down when they
are no longer puppies. In today's world, there are virtual pet
stores on-line. People should really meet a dog in person before
getting one. An advantage of a shelter is that the volunteers
and workers can explain what the dog is like. We understand
what will work and not work for people's needs. The primary
reason for going to a shelter or rescue is to give a homeless
dog a home. We need more people to get involved and become engaged
so more dogs find homes."
Penny
Jane was a shelter dog adopted by Amy and her husband. The
first two years she was a fearful and an undersocialized dog
that has now morphed into a shy content canine. But the book
is not just about Penny Jane, but other dogs as well. There
is Brody, a jumpy-mouthy dog; Harmony, a dog whose elbows
were rejiggered; and Bridget, a dog almost put down for her
aggressive behavior. Sutherland explained, “Brody’s
owner said he was a biter, but that did not jive with anything
we knew about him. I brought him home as a behavior foster
to observe him. It turned out that he was not biting, but
mouthing, just an over excited form of play. He, like most
mouthy dogs, overcame the behavior in a stable home.”
As with US military dogs that were euthanized at the end of
each war so were many shelter animals. “Robby’s
Law” was passed after the Vietnam War to prevent euthanization
of four-legged warriors. Sutherland tells of those, like Rick
Avanzino, who fought to change the euthanasia rates in civilian
settings, specifically shelters. Often called the father of
the no-kill movement he believes that within his lifetime
every animal in the US will have a home. The book explains
that today “shelter dogs have become popular, even a
status symbol…people proudly introduce their mutts as
rescues, almost as if they were a sought after breed.”
In explaining the term Sutherland wants readers to understand,
“A ‘no-kill’ shelter is one where 90% of
the animals leave alive. This takes into account that some
dogs do need to be put down. Many shelters will not take in
certain dogs because they don’t want to be in the position
to have to put a dog down. For example, they will not take
in hopeless medical cases or dogs that are very challenging
behaviorally.”
The beginning of the book touches on what happens to people
after losing a dog. There are those who will never get another
dog, some who will get one right away, and those who will
wait. Feelings of being heart broken, too loyal, too needy,
and companionship all come into play. “I consider having
a dog a fairy tale friendship, which is why I wrote in the
book, ‘the beauty of dogs is that you can look into
their eyes endlessly… they never grow up. They are always
our children.’ My goal is to always have a dog. It’s
a form of attachment of having an elemental bond, the camaraderie,
and having them greet you after you arrive home.”
A quote in the book, “I don’t know how you do
it,” hammers home the point that there are very special
people out there like Amy, whether volunteering at an animal
shelter, fostering animals at home, or providing a home to
a needy dog. She noted, “I agree volunteering can be
hard on your heart. The overriding feeling is that I am helping
these dogs through a touch phase. It is not easy but you get
used to it. I saw what I could do and was willing to do for
a dog.”
This is a great book for any animal lover. The stories told
will illicit emotions from happiness to sadness. But readers
will also learn about shelters, dog training, and the absolute
need for dogs to be rescued.
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