Loyal: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh Published by National Geographic Society on March 7th 2017
Pages: 160
Goodreads
This treasury features heartwarming photographs and touching stories of dedicated working dogs who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and proven themselves as true heroes. This special collection of dog stories and photographs features four-legged heroes who have worked side by side with soldiers, searched the wreckage of natural and man-made disasters, changed families' lives through emotional support, and administered aid around the world and at home in the United States. Heart-warming photographs and touching anecdotes bring to life thirty-eight caring canines who have served the people who mean the most to them, from a German Shepherd who leads a blind man on his marathon training mssion to a belly rub-loving Sheltie who supports at-risk youth in the classroom. For anyone who has experienced the extraordinary affection of a dog, Loyal is a lasting celebration of the joys of canine companionship.
I’m thrilled to welcome you to my my stop on the blog tour for Loyal: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs. As many of you know, I’m kind of a dog person. By kind of, I mean that I have four of my own and frequently a foster or two. Therefore, when TLC Blog Tours offered me the opportunity to read and review this book, I jumped at it!
Loyal is a lovely book chock full of beautiful photographs and stories about our four-legged friends. I’m a sucker for pretty much any story about any dog, it’s true… What makes this book so special is that the stories are not just focused on dogs but on our relationship with dogs and how dogs help us to improve our relationships with ourselves and one another. This book is a beautiful illustration of both the complexity and simplicity of our relationships with these beautiful animals who literally live for our love and companionship.
There is great variety in the stories told in this book; there are stories about emotional support dogs, cancer detection dogs, dogs that help teach fire safety to children, and even dogs that protect cute little penguins! I loved reading about Hudson, one of the “railroad puppies” whose story I followed so closely back in 2012 when he and two of his littermates were found nailed to railroad tracks in Albany, New York. It also warmed my heart to read about Drago and other therapy dogs that offered comfort to the teachers and children in Newton, Connecticut as they returned to school after the tragic shooting that took the lives of twenty children and six staff members. And who wouldn’t fall in love with Glory the Bloodhound? She’s a real-life pet detective!
Loyal is a fast read but one that can also be savored. You’ll want to go back and re-read your favorite stories again and again. It’s the perfect gift for any dog lover. You can purchase your copy here.
About The Author
Photo by Mark Mann
Rebecca Ascher-Walsh is a writer who specializes in celebrity and lifestyle coverage, but who also loves dogs and telling stories about animals. She contributes to many newspapers and national magazines including Entertainment Weekly, Adweek, and the Los Angeles Times. She is a volunteer at a high-kill shelter in Manhattan and a founding director of the Deja Foundation, devoted to funding the medical care and training costs of dogs rescued from high-kill shelters.
Tour Stops
Please consider visiting all of the stops on the tour!
Tuesday, March 7th: Brown Dog Solutions
Friday, March 10th: The Daily Pip
Monday, March 13th: bichonpawz
Tuesday, March 14th: 21 Pup Street
Wednesday, March 15th: alyssarossblog
Thursday, March 16th: Sara the Introvert
Friday, March 17th: lexi the schnauzer & friends
Monday, March 20th: Read Till Dawn
Tuesday, March 21st: Lit.Wit.Wine.Dine.
Wednesday, March 22nd: Life on a Colorado Farm
Thursday, March 23rd: Malcolm Avenue Review
Friday, March 24th: Lapdog Creations
Monday, March 27th: Golden Daily Scoop
Tuesday, March 28th: Pooch Smooches
Wednesday, March 29th: Welcome to the menagerie
Many thanks to TLC Book Tours and National Geographic for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have to have this book. Great review.
Thanks, Sue! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
What an awesome book!! I have a black English lab who very much looks like the dog on that cover:) I can’t imagine life without my dog, he’s actually our second family dog but the first one we’ve had that I’ve been able to put hours and hours of training and time into and it’s very true, the relationship we have with our dogs is like none other:) adding this book to my TBR:)
That’s awesome, Renee! I have one too! He’s such a good boy. He’s 9 now. He’s blind in one eye and has a small cataract in the other but he doesn’t seem to care. He’s getting a little more curmudgeonly as he gets older but, hey, so am I… His name is Jerry but he goes by many names such as My Big Boy, My Main Man, and My Jerr-Bear.
Mine is going to be 8 in May and his name is Rocco. He’s got a bad elbow but otherwise in good health…that’s after surgery last year to repair his torn ACL:( He also goes by My Buddy, Rockster and The Rock:) Isn’t it funny how many nicknames we have for our dogs?! That’s one thing I loved about Lily and the Octopus…all the nicknames he had for Lily…I remember thinking oh wow I have so many nicknames for my dog as well:)
I want to know more about this real life pet detective!
Thank you for being on this tour!
My pleasure, Trish. Thank you!!
You are a dog person?!?! I never would have guessed lol