Second Chances: Inspiring Stories of Dog Adoption

by Joan Banks, Betsy Saul (Introduction)

Tales of human and canine courage are told in this collection of fifty stories of deserving dogs placed in loving new homes by Petfinder.com. Original. 40,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs, Short Stories

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book full of heartwarming stories...be prepared to cry sad then happy tears over and over again.

[Deb Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the heartwarming stories!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of stories highlighting dog adoptions facilitated by the website PetFinder.com. Despite the obvious presence of the brand name throughout the book, I didn't feel as if it was simply a giant commercial for them. Instead, I admired the diversity of the stories in that they promoted the underlying message that there is a dog to fit every need available for adoption or rescue, and you don't need to buy a dog from a pet store or breeder to find your perfect friend. There are stories of finding purebred dogs because someone fell in love with the breed, adopting older dogs to provide companionship for senior dogs who seemed depressed when their longtime canine housemate passed away, and puppies who used their sad eyes to touch the hearts of people casually browsing the website. There were also tale of unique rescue dogs, ones who would be Hollywood stars, provide lifesaving care to their human family members, or find the exact adopter who knew how to address the dog's special needs.
All in all, an enjoyable book that reinforced my belief that Petfinder is the likely place to go when the time is right to adopt another dog, should the local shelters and rescues not have the one who feels 'right'. Years ago when our dog passed away, the only shelter dog I felt a connection to turned out to have fallen ill while in the shelter and couldn't be adopted out, so we ended up adopting from a 'breeder' who I now suspect was a front for a puppy mill, based on the look of our dog. That said, he's the dog in my picture and will soon turn 13, and has provided us with exactly what we needed through highs and lows. I know he won't live forever though, and he's shown how much love still exists in an older dog, which I know are often the hardest to place, so it makes sense to look in the future for an older dog who deserves to live its remaining years in a warm loving home, however many it might have.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a collection of success stories from people that had found companions using petfinder.com. The book was exactly what I expected containing 50 feel good tales about dog adoption. None of the stories were so endearing to me though that I believe I will carry them with me. I have read some "tails" in the past that were so powerful and moving that I think of them today years later. It was a cute little read that did not take long but not the best I've encountered of these types of books.

I did learn that petfinder has an emergency/natural disaster portion of it that helps link people with lost pets after a catastrophe. The book had a story of a reunited woman with her long lost dog through this portion of the site after Katrina hit. I did think that was a pretty cool thing and wondered what we ever did without the internet.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant series of short, true stories of dog adoptions. It is uplifting and each tale has a positive outcome. The conditions that some of these dogs suffered will be enlightening to those who are not familiar with shelter animals and puppy mills. This would be a great book to give someone who is considering adopting a pet.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the stories had people I know in it - the Canine Express that transports dogs from Indiana to the East Coast. My husband has driven it twice and it was quite the experience. Every time a dog or cat gets a forever home. it's a good day - and one less to move into my house. :)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet true stories about people who've adopted dogs in need through Petfinder.com (the same way we adopted our own rescue dog, Hank!) I like the way the author doesn't sugarcoat the stories - you hear about the challenges that can happen with some rescue dogs at first, and how people overcome them.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay - I now officially want 16 dogs. These are inspiring tales of rescue adoption, all uplifting, and heartbreaking at the same time.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good collection of stories of successful matches through Petfinder.com. Great way to reaffirm the importance of adopting dogs (and other animals) before going to a breeder or pet store.

[Michelle J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching, sweet stories.

[Ayuko]

November 15, 2012: 25 minutes
November 16, 2012: 20 minutes
November 21, 2012: 20 minutes
November 22, 2012: 10 minutes
November 23, 2012: 30 minutes
November 24, 2012: 30 minutes