Dogs have always been a passion of Linda’s – not the “fancy” (breeding and showing purebred dogs) – but dogs as companions, what they bring to our lives, and how we humans deify and vilify them at the same time. Our relationship with our canines is incredibly complex and at the same time so very simple and straightforward; and has been a source of interest and study for me since childhood.
In the early 90s I discovered dog rescue, and in the mid 90s began my journey into the world of rescue – the more I learned the more I found I needed to learn; and the more questions I had. Over a decade and hundreds of rescues later, I still believe in the little miracles of dog rescue and adoption, and I’m still amazed at the number of ways humans have found to abuse and neglect this creature we call “man’s best friend.” And I’m humbled by the forgiveness and resiliency of dogs who have seen the worst sides of human nature.
The A, B, Cs of Dog Rescue is a book that Randy and I have worked on for several years – given the nature of rescue there are so many new developments each month and so many new stories and aspects of rescue that it’s been hard to draw a line and call the book “finished.” Rescue is an emotionally intense, time consuming activity; it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and one of the most heartbreaking. I’ve met incredibly wonderful people and I think I can honestly say at this point that if I had to travel across this country there’s not a place I could go that I wouldn’t already have a rescue contact who would offer a bed and shelter – rescue people are not only loving and generous to the animals, no matter what other ways we may disagree, we’ll help anyone who helps the dogs.
Stories about rescuers and dogs they’ve helped abound, but rescue is a little understood phenomenon; it’s one of the truly pure grassroots efforts involving tens of thousands of individuals from all walks of life and all parts of the continent. My goal is to try to help non-rescue folks understand and appreciate the complexity and intensity of the rescue process – and maybe recruit a few folks in the process.
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