Lovely Review from a Reader

Thank you Lori for such a nice review.

Lori's review

Apr 05, 10

status: Read in 2010

A really well-written book. Being an animal patrol officer, at least in the way that this author handled the position, is one of a community,(in the cases of both pets and pet owners),caregiver. Many of these tales bring tears to your eyes--some sad endings and some happy endings. We receive insight into the vast efforts given on behalf of the APOs, the Police Department and the animal shelters to make the lives of animals suitable to their needs--in terms of environment, relationships and at times to each other. Fascinating

Snow Days

Proof that I was once able to parallel park.

It was the 80's - big hair, and apparently, big cars. Yes...this was it. The famous Animal Patrol Wagon. At one time it had been the best car in the department. When it was new - it was the Chief''s car - driven only by those who held the highest rank.

Then the years went by... Watergate, the end of the Vietnam War, The Oil Crisis, Pet Rocks...the advent of Hamburger Helper. Yes, those were good times.

However, since those events are from the early 70's or so and... as you may have noticed... I mentioned that this photo was from the 80's - by the time it had been demoted to Animal Control, this car had seen better days.

Better years.

It was a car from another era. I think it even took regular leaded gas. It must have. Some of you reading this may be thinking "Leaded gas?" "There's such a thing as leaded gas?" If you are one of those people, you should probably be in bed by now - young people need their sleep.

That thing could fly though - 8 cylinders and a powerful engine, even if it was a little bit on the older side. Looking at it now makes me a little sad, nostalgic. Today there was no school - a snow day. Instead of doing the mountains of work that sit in not just one, but two bookbags, I looked through photo albums. I scanned some photos from years gone by - to give as gifts to some of those people from years gone by. Perhaps the memories I give them will make them smile. I hope they do. Today was that kind of day.

It was a day to remember how it felt to drive that old car with the windows open, wind blowing, the highway in front of me - and no traffic as far as I could see.

Book Hound: Dogs in Black and White Review

A nice review from Tanya Turgeon from Fetchdog.com, your one-stop shop for all things dog! I really enjoyed reading this review...it was different than many others in that it really explained the role of an animal control officer and clarified the differences between the vision people have in their minds, and what a "dog catcher" really does. Thanks Tanya, for a great , incredibly well written and articulate review. Tanya should think about writing a book...she definitely has the chops! If you check out her website above, you'll see that this is a multi-talented young woman who can not only write, but also acts, models and even performs in a circus! She's done some work for the Big Apple Circus, which has its headquarters right down the road a bit from my house! It's a small world. You can read the review below or here, for the direct link to the Fetchdog.com blog.

Tales from a Dog Catcher

REVIEW by Tanya Turgeon

The Lyons Press, 2009 - 252 pages - $16.95

The words "dog catcher" conjure in my mind a cartoon stereotype of a middle-aged awkwardly burly mustachioed man in khaki shorts and matching button-down short-sleeved shirt wielding an oversized butterfly net. He is constantly warring with the neighborhood dogs who always end up oustmarting him, a la Heathcliff or Lady and the Tramp. I have since been educated by Tales from a Dog Catcher, written by former Animal Control Officer Lisa Duffy (now known as teacher and author Lisa Duffy-Korpics), who turns out to be the farthest thing from male and burly.

Curious if the difference between a "dog catcher" and an "Animal Control Officer" had to do with age, gender, size, and demeanor, I consulted my old faithful friend Wikipedia who informed me, "Gone are the days of the big bad dog catcher. Today Animal Control Officers focus more on educating the public on proper animal care, and rescuing animals from dangerous or abusive situations." Apparently my mental image was simply out-of-date. Relative to the book, this statement should appear in bold on the cover, that's how precisely it summarizes the experiences of Lisa Duffy.

The stories are quite self-sufficient and a few have already been featured in some of the Chicken Soup books, which is an indicator of the tone they take. As the antithesis to the old school dog catcher, ACO Duffy is most often armed with soothing words and dog biscuits as she saves animal after animal (including an endearing one-legged duck), empathizing wholeheartedly, and often being brought to tears by situations beyond her control.

If some of the animal encounters are odd, like a flock of turkeys marching down a steep embankment toward a busy roadway, the human confrontations are more so. One woman is told to feed and water some kittens, so she of course pours water all over them. Another insists on putting down a perfectly healthy Schnauzer so he can be buried with his owner, her recently deceased uncle.The only enemies in Duffy's life are negligent and abusive owners, who are reponsible for frustrating and often heartbreaking circumstances.

While I expected more nit and grit from such an insider view, I respect the realistic and honest writing. Besides who am I to judge when I so thoroughly misconceived the role of a dog catcher at the outset? At one point, ACO Duffy tenderly pets a beautiful German Shepherd whose life of abuse has led directly to euthanization. "You're misunderstood," she says.

So it seems has been the role of the dog catcher.