Second Chances: More Tales of Found Dogs
by Elise Lufkin
Summary
Second Chances is full of wonderful photos and words by people who have given dogs a second chance. Celebrities from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Oscar de la Renta and everyday heroes who have found dogs of all sorts--from sleek greyhounds to scruffy mutts--
share their tales of discovery and canine-human friendship. Second Chances is a tribute to these extraordinary dogs and their people. It is a testimony to the gift of love and salvation. And, in each case, it is difficult to say just who has saved whom.
Excerpt
Dogs have enriched my life immeasurably. Working with them has taught me a great deal. Some years ago I initiated a program at my local animal shelter in which volunteers work with dogs to help socialize them. The dogs receive some basic obedience training to make them more attractive as candidates for adoption and more successful in their new homes. Through this work I saw in a concrete way the tragedy of pet overpopulation, and I began to realize how many dogs with real potential are languishing in animal shelters all around the country. I was horrified to learn how many dogs must be killed every year to make room for the next batch of unwanted animals.
Partly in reaction to this bleak side of the work, I began to focus on the happy endings, the success stories. I have always been interested in the bond between people and dogs. Shelter work showed me the special relationship that often blossoms when an animal is rescued. Truly, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.
In 1997, I published Found Dogs: Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet to encourage people to consider adopting a homeless dog. I hoped that these stories would lead readers to visit their local shelter instead of the pet shop at the mall. Often puppies in pet stores come from factory farms that produce puppies as a cash crop. In many cases, the dogs—brood bitches, stud dogs, and puppies—are kept in tiny, filthy cages under horrible conditions. Many are diseased; many have serious genetic flaws. According to Roger Caras, a previous executive director of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, when puppies from these wholesale breeders are delivered to pet stores, “They give them a bath, blow dry and fluff them up, and pray they don’t die before they’re sold.” Purchasing pet shop puppies only promotes the horrors of puppy mills….
I dedicated Found Dogs to the matchmakers, the people who work to place homeless animals—professionals at shelters as well as individuals with their networks of friends and neighbors. I have tremendous admiration for them and for the work they do. I donate all profits from Found Dogs to animal welfare organizations and to shelters large and small. I plan to do the same with Second Chances.
To old friends and new ones, I hope that you enjoy this new book. I hope, too, that some of you will think about a dog out there somewhere, a dog who needs you. As Peter Mayle points out in the introduction to Found Dogs, “When you adopt a dog, the whole experience is fraught with delightful unpredictability. Very little is certain—except, of course, that you will be giving him a better life. And he will be doing the same for you.”
Reviews
“The depth of feeling from the people narrating their tales brings tears to the eyes." --Publishers Weekly
“All pet owners should read it. Animal lovers will love it."-- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
“The photographs are excellent…I can’t think of a single thing that could be improved upon”—Ben Franklin Awards judge
Author's Biography
Elise Lufkin has been involved with dogs all her life. She has promoted humane education and was one of the founders of New York City’s Great American Mutt Show. The enthusiasm for her earlier book, Found Dogs, inspired this sequel. Diana.Walker is a contract photographer for Time.