Drawing on her work at a shelter, her experiences living with two rescue dogs of her own, and years of research, bestselling author and Boston Globe columnist Amy Sutherland takes us on an unforgettable journey into the special world of rescue and shelter dogs—and the growing number of dedicated people who are deeply invested in saving these precious lives.
Terrified Penny Jane; brassy but filthy Dixie Lou; tough-guy Dingo; and the crazed, nippy jester, Walter Joe. These are not your average cute-and-cared-for, well-trained pups—these are shelter dogs. Scared, aggressive, so painfully shy that they can’t look you in the eye, they have languished so long without attention that they are slipping into a dark place, and soon will no longer be able to bond with people.
A member of the elite corps of volunteers at Boston’s Animal Rescue League, Amy Sutherland began walking shelter dogs in 2001 and has patiently helped train canines with serious behavior problems. Rescuing Penny Jane is the story of her adventures with these remarkable dogs, from working at a shelter, helping dozens of animals discover that the right person can give them love, hope, and a whole new life, to adopting two rescue dogs of her own and fostering half a dozen more. In addition to her touching, funny, and insightful anecdotes, Sutherland travels the country talking to leading shelter experts, animal behaviorists, and activists.
An affecting, entertaining portrait of the relationships between shelter dogs and those who care for them, Rescuing Penny Jane is a book that dog lovers and all who care about animals will treasure.
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“Sutherland gives us puppy love, yes, but she goes beyond sentiment and shows us how we can change the lives of the creatures who give the world so much.”
— George Hodgman, New York Times bestselling author
“At once a compelling memoir and an insightful exploration of shelter dogs in our society…This is an inspiring book full of heart and redemption.”
— Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author“This is not another sappy book about saving animals, but a valuable journey into the best spirit of this extraordinary new movement.”
— Jon Katz, New York Times bestselling authorBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Amy Sutherland is also the author of Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched and Cookoff. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Boston Globe. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and divides her time between Boston and Portland, Maine.
Xe Sands has more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration, performance, and visual art, including recordings of the Nightwalkers series from Jaquelyn Frank. She has received several honors, including AudioFile Earphones Awards and a coveted Audie Award, and she was named Favorite Debut Romance Narrator of 2011 in the Romance Audiobooks poll.