Lost and Found: Dogs, Cats, and Everyday Heroes at a Country Animal Shelter

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This book was so good, after I read it I reordered it in hardbound so that it would "keep better" on my shelf. This way I can pass around my paperback copy to my co-workers at the shelter I work at. Since I work in a "no-kill", privately funded shelter full time, I can relate to the stories told in Ms. Hess' book. Even though we are "no-kill", we work very closely with our city funded shelter (the pound) to transfer animals out of there that are on the euthanasia list. This is a hard job, choosing who will live and who will die for us, but the hardest part is for people who work in euthanasia full time. These are the folks who have to "clean up the mess" of others who fail to spay or neuter their pets, the "backyard" breeders and the general population who fail to keep that life long commitment they made to their pets when they dump them at the shelter. By the way, very few of the animals that are dumped find homes. Stray animals are kept up to 72 hours, depending on cage space. Owner released animals are usually killed immediately, or as one employee said to a surrenderer, "As soon as the ink is dry on your release form, your animal will be dead." Recommended reading for anyone who wants to run out and get a pet, should be required reading. Please excuse my harshness, but I'm writing this in the middle of "kitten season."