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Rescuing Penny Jane: One Shelter Volunteer, Countless Dogs, and the Quest to Find Them All Homes

Amy Sutherland (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 299 ratings · 60 reviews

What shelter dogs need is obvious—a home. But how do we find all those homes? That question sends bestselling writer and lifelong dog lover Amy Sutherland on a quest to find the answers in her own volunteer work and beyond. The result is an unforgettable and inspiring trip through the world of homeless dogs and the people who work so hard to save them.

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Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 21st 2017 by Harper

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Feb 03, 2017 Lois rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I LOVED this book and think it should be a must-read for pretty much everyone. I've read lots of books on this subject, but don't remember being as impressed by one before.

I could write a really long review about it, but I'll try not to. Let me start by saying that I think anyone who works at an animal shelter, whether as a paid employee or volunteer, and/or fosters animals at home, is a very special person in my book.

This book is amazing. The author has worked as a volunteer and has fostered a I LOVED this book and think it should be a must-read for pretty much everyone. I've read lots of books on this subject, but don't remember being as impressed by one before.

I could write a really long review about it, but I'll try not to. Let me start by saying that I think anyone who works at an animal shelter, whether as a paid employee or volunteer, and/or fosters animals at home, is a very special person in my book.

This book is amazing. The author has worked as a volunteer and has fostered and adopted from shelters. She tells lots of stories, both happy and sad, but in between you get a lot of facts. I learned a lot I didn't know before about the shelter system, but without it being shoved at me, as so many books do. This has such a great balance of things you want to know mixed with things that should be talked about a lot more, and told in a positive, personal way. Yes, some was very sad. I read most of the book with my own rescue dog in his usual spot while I'm reading, which is plastered to my side, and sometimes i just had to stop and hug him, while I wiped away some tears. Other things made me laugh, and hug him then, too.

She tells you about people who just couldn't accept the way shelters are run and actually did something to change that. And didn't just stop at their local shelter, but wanted to change it for the whole country. Before one man got involved, adoption rates were much lower and euthanasia rates were sky high. He turned that around. She talks to people from many shelters. Some famous ones, like Best Friends, or Muttville, the wonderful one for seniors pets only, but also lots of smaller places you've never heard of.

There are big decisions involved. Should you make the pet return policy easier in order to get more adoptions, or make it harder but have fewer adoptions? Shelters have their little tricks to get people interested. Like naming the pets after celebrities. They also have little tricks to make someone who they can tell is unsuitable lose interest in certain animals. They know which dogs want attention and which ones you should just ignore beyond giving them basic care, for their own comfort. Its a whole world of personalities, which you already know if you've ever really known or loved an animal, and some just can't ever adapt well enough to find a home.

And the author is honest. She admits she likes older dogs better than puppies. That she didn't always care for certain breeds until one animal of that breed changed her mind. That proves how individual each dog or cat, or whatever, is. She admitted that "I hate people" is a phrase that must be whispered behind the scenes at every shelter at some point. But she also explains how, altho its hard not to judge, sometimes its just ignorance and circumstance that makes a person do the wrong thing for an animal, rather than cruelty. Unfortunately, in extreme cases, someone might actually think an animal would be better off on the street than in their home any more. Pets who were fun dorm companions for college kids often get turned loose when college days are over. Its just so sad that sometimes they'll find animals tied to a post or left in an abandoned house, etc. The lucky ones get found. She goes into how an animal in a shelter too long gets to be harder to adopt out sometimes because of the behavior brought about by it being locked up too long. Its a vicious cycle.

This book was written all about dogs, which are what the author has experience with, but it is most likely just the same for any other animals. Cats for sure. The author even expressed surprise when she first realized that shelters also often have rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. that have been given up.

There is so much more in this book, and obviously, I can't say enough about it. I highly recommend it for anyone thinking about getting a pet. There are so many that are homeless for all kinds of reasons, and a little love for them goes a really, really long way.

(With reference to the 2nd paragraph of this review, sorry this got so long!!) ...more

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May 25, 2018 Maureen DeLuca rated it really liked it

Dogs on the cover, book about dogs- saving dogs, loving dogs... 'nuf said! ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Mimi Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dog-books

This review is reprinted from my blog, aheartforshelterdogs.com:

When writer Amy Sutherland and her husband, Scott, adopted Bumble Bee, an extremely fearful young dog, from a Maine shelter, they thought that their love would heal her. They also thought that they knew a lot about dogs; each had had dogs individually, and together they had raised their genial Australian shepherd. In addition, Amy was a devoted and experienced volunteer dog walker at the shelter where Bumble Bee had been brought aft ...more

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Jan 05, 2018 Mary rated it liked it

Amy Sutherland spent a good portion of her time caring for shelter dogs, and wrote about her experiences. While she gained a lot of fulfillment from volunteering, she also felt sorrow when things didn't work out for some of these homeless pets. Obviously, finding the right home for these animals is a monumental task, with no easy answers.

In our home, we have a veritable zoo of rescue animals -- one aging lab mix, five cats of varying ages, and three rabbits. (Yes, there are organizations devot Amy Sutherland spent a good portion of her time caring for shelter dogs, and wrote about her experiences. While she gained a lot of fulfillment from volunteering, she also felt sorrow when things didn't work out for some of these homeless pets. Obviously, finding the right home for these animals is a monumental task, with no easy answers.

In our home, we have a veritable zoo of rescue animals -- one aging lab mix, five cats of varying ages, and three rabbits. (Yes, there are organizations devoted to rescuing rabbits.) So I can certainly relate to how passionately the author feels about this important problem!

While I've learned quite a bit about caring for my family's pets, including how to cure an abscess in a rabbit's cheek (which involves injections!), getting a behind the scenes look at what it's like for a shelter volunteer was eye-opening. It was definitely an emotional read for me. You can't save them all, but there are definitely steps that can be taken. Like our family, the author found a pet or two along the way that other people might have turned away from. She talks about two or three dogs that she's taken into her own home to try to help make them more family-ready.

In our case, there was a cage in the bottom corner of the cat adoption room, which bore a sign reading, "Go slow, I'm scared." But when I bent down and called, a handsome grey and white British short hair/tabby came on out to meet me. He was shaking but purred when I gave him a little love and attention. He later bit a young volunteer who had not worked with cats before. They had to quarantine him and asked if we still wanted him. He had been so good with our kids, though. We said that of course we wanted him. We knew saying no would be his death sentence. He came out of quarantine with no further issues. Once he got acclimated to the home (and four other cats who weren't so sure about the new family member!), we realized he has severe arthritis, including a poorly healed tail fracture, and difficulty breathing properly. But with our family, he has gained weight and thrived, and now is a content house cat who naps on the couch and loves to sit right up against one of us.

I know that our personal story is not necessarily part of a typical book review format, but it made sense to me to include it because it illustrates one of the author's points very well. Some of these animals have never known a home, or had any real experience with human beings, or had a bad experience if they had any at all. Some of them need preparation before they are ready to head home with a new family. Not every shelter pet is a sweet, cuddly kitten or puppy! Shelter workers and volunteers work hard and I'm thankful that Ms. Sutherland gave of herself and shared her story with the rest of us. ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Michelle 🌹🕊 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, dogs, 2017

What a fantastic read. I love to read about dogs and it's hard to come by a current dog rescue book that highlights all the right things. When I picked this up I had no idea the author started out in Portland, Maine and ended up in Boston, so that was a great surprise. Growing up in Maine and never seeing a stray dog in my life, I was excited to learn more about New England shelters compared to the South and wanted to hear the good and the bad. Sutherland definitely hits everything you need to k ...more

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Sep 28, 2017 Sarah Ewald rated it it was amazing

Okay, I am a sucker for a book with dogs on the cover... That said, it was very interesting. Written by Amy Sutherland, who is a shelter volunteer with dogs. I also volunteer at a shelter, but with cats, who, in my opinion, adapt to shelter life better than dogs. I never really thought about the dogs (other than that barking), but the do have issues that manifest themselves the longer they are in the shelter and not adopted.
Amy tells stories of the dogs she has met at her shelter, and others, a ...more

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May 28, 2017 Susan Beamon rated it it was amazing

I am not a dog owner, which makes me sort of an outlier in my family. They all have multiple dogs, mostly rescues. I live with cats, myself, but I appreciate dogs. This book was written by a shelter volunteer who focused on dogs, rescuing two herself. The book is a memoir of her life as a volunteer. If she had concentrated just on the shelters she worked in and the dogs she worked with, it would have been a boring book. She gives us a brief history of the shelter movement and a larger history of ...more

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May 17, 2020 Donna Winters rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Extraordinary story of dogs, shelters, and new forever homes

The author, Amy Sutherland, is an experienced journalist and shelter volunteer. Her writing is engaging, fresh, and scrupulously researched. I have read several books recently about dogs—shelter rescues, PTSD dogs, military search dogs, retired greyhound rescues—and this one shows exceptional quality regarding the author’s writing skills. Rather than using pat phrases, Ms Sutherland finds new and unexpected ways of wording her descripti ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Phyllis Barlow rated it really liked it

I am a sucker for any book dealing with dogs, so I really enjoyed this one. It was interesting to read how shelters work, and it's wonderful to know there are so many dedicated people trying to take care of and find homes for these pets.

The only criticism I would have (and it's more of a question than a criticism) is she doesn't really go into detail about how she re-habbed Penny Jane. Since the title was Rescuing Penny Jane I thought there would be more information on how she got her adjusted ...more

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Jul 07, 2019 Marcia Miller rated it liked it

Recommends it for: dog lovers

This book gives readers a rare look into the noisy world of animal shelters. The author, herself a long-time dog lover and dedicated shelter volunteer, shares the stories of the many dogs she fostered and cared for while working in shelters in different parts of the country. Based on her observations and work with vets, animal behaviorists, and other animal lovers, she reveals not only the various problems overcrowded shelters experience, but also how difficult it is to strike the right balance ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 Ann rated it really liked it

A must read for anyone who loves dogs. It is funny, touching and educational about shelters in this country.

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Feb 08, 2020 Solita rated it really liked it

There are moments that are very moving. I don't like to hear about dogs (or any animal) that is put down, because they can't be placed due to behavior or health issues. It made me cry.

She mentions the rescue where I got my dog. I think she gives it too much credit. Low scores on Yelp agree with my own experience and perception. (I don't Yelp, myself.) They are great on paper. On paper. There have been some good people associated with it. No doubt. But (at least, currently) they mislead. I learn There are moments that are very moving. I don't like to hear about dogs (or any animal) that is put down, because they can't be placed due to behavior or health issues. It made me cry.

She mentions the rescue where I got my dog. I think she gives it too much credit. Low scores on Yelp agree with my own experience and perception. (I don't Yelp, myself.) They are great on paper. On paper. There have been some good people associated with it. No doubt. But (at least, currently) they mislead. I learned more about my dog from animal control, four years later. Quite by accident. I didn't know they kept records of dogs they pick up or are turned in. My dog was abandoned twice (before I got her). The second time, she was left to wander the streets of a rough neighborhood. The woman at animal control said my dog was "a growler." She growled at everyone. The rescue never told me any of this. Just said she was found wandering the streets of the city. Claimed she walked well on a leash. That was a lie. She tolerates a leash, but she doesn't walk, she refuses to budge. Too afraid. They didn't mention that she is aggressive toward other dogs. The rescue also shaved a year off her age. She is about seven, now, not six. This dog is a lot of work, but I adore her, and take good care of her. Last year, I got a sling carrier so I could take her out of the house, get her out in the world. Wasn't sure it would work, but it did. She loves it. She trembles with both excitement and anxiety. But I know she loves it, otherwise she would run and hide, not come running to me, jumping up on me. I make her sit before I pick her up to put her in the sling. But she still is squiggly wiggly, and nipping at me with excitement. I stop and tell her, "Relax, relax. Calm down. Easy, easy." It's a stop and go thing. She calms down, but has a hard time keeping her excitement in check. Ha. I love that she loves it. I'm the only one who can pick her up. She growls at everyone else. She's a growler, because she's afraid. Last year, I found her a new vet. She explained that my dog has a personality disorder. The rescue and their vets were useless, when it came the truth and reality. This new vet I found for her told me my dog can improve, in time, lots of time, but to keep my expectations low. That was a major help. That behaviorist vet at the rescue never said that. She was like, "Just teach her, 'Look at me. Look at me,'" to distract her when she acted up. Yeah. Right. That ain't gonna happen. She has improved, but I don't know if she will ever not growl at people who come over (I have to pick her up and hold her, helps calm her some), and I think she will always hate other dogs. Poor little thing. I'm glad I have her, because someone else might very well put her down.

One thing about this book that bothered me, is that the only poor communities this woman talks negatively about is Native American and those populated with Spanish-speaking immigrants who don't take care of their pets because they don't know better, and don't have the means. Hey, man, there are poor, white folks too, uneducated people who don't know better, and who are too poor to take the best care of their pets. Poor is poor.

Oh, and this book is not about rescuing Penny Jane. She was a small part of it. I would like to have heard more about her. I want to hear more about dogs like my little one. That's what I thought this might be. Wasn't, but oh, well.

It's an imperfect world. Always has been. Always will be. You can't save all the dogs in the world. Aren't there enough in this country to worry about? Why you gotta import them too? Just saying. ...more

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Mar 24, 2018 Bonnie Kutch rated it really liked it

As a 12-year-long volunteer dog walker/trainer myself, I closely related to this author's sentiments about the volunteer experience; her preference for pitties; her magnetic draw to the dogs; how once your heart falls for a shelter dog, you can't stay away because you need to see that dog through to his/her adoption; how devastated you feel when a dog's health or behavior is so poor that he/she has to be euthanized. The wisdom and advice the many shelter directors she interviewed shared was insi ...more

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Sep 03, 2018 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dog-books

“Rugby, Penny Jane and Walter Joe have found loving homes and that is what dogs need. It is what they deserve”

“ This is all he knows, his blue ball, his favourite volunteers and his trips to McDonald’s. It is his home”

5 beautiful stars to this beautiful story!!!
So many puppies and dogs need to be rescued even the older ones, even the ones we label (Pitt bulls and chihuahuas). Every dog deserves a home and to know love.

Amy Sutherland just kept fostering the un-adoptable until they were ready to ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Bianca rated it it was amazing

I've had other books by Sutherland on my to-read list, but this is the first one I read--and I'm so glad I did. (Thanks to Bark Magazine for their enticing review.) Sutherland's own experience as a shelter volunteer and then foster for a succession of dogs (two of whom she kept) is the basis for the book's exploration of shelter culture in the United States. Sutherland explains a lot about how we ended up with the system we have. This is mostly a hopeful book, but the author doesn't gloss over t ...more

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Jan 31, 2018 Cara Achterberg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, dog-books, nonfcition, everyone-should-read-this

This beautiful book not only touched my heart, but it challenged me to re-think my perspective on dog rescue. Sutherland made me want to do more and while she occasionally broke my heart, she also gave me great hope that we can solve this very solvable problem. As a person involved in dog rescue, from the foster and rescue side, it was eye-opening to get a shelter volunteer's perspective, but Sutherland's journalistic chops added authority and clear thinking to the situation. Her obvious researc ...more

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Feb 10, 2018 Jill rated it really liked it

4 to 4.5 stars

Author Amy Sutherland begins walking shelter dogs at her neighborhood shelter. This act morphs into a quest to discover the best way to help shelter dogs. IS spay/neutering the answer? More foster homes? More support to owners to help them keep their animals?

Throughout the book, Sutherland describes how she came to own a nearly feral dog and how that simple act changed her life forever. She fondly reminisces about the dogs she has walked, fostered and meet in her years of voluntee ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Gayle Slagle rated it really liked it

Rescuing Penny Jane by Amy Sutherland is a delightful look into the the world of a shelter volunteer. If you are a dog lover, you will thoroughly enjoy the often poignant accounts of some of the many dogs encountered by Sutherland and if you are not a gung-ho dog lover, you will gain insight into the problem of finding good homes for shelter dogs and the extent to which shelter volunteers go to find the perfect match between dog and owner. The stories are sometimes heartwarming and sometimes hea ...more

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May 11, 2017 Dayna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was very informative & provided insightful details not only about rescue dogs but different shelters nationwide that protect - and sometimes fails - them. It doesn't dwell so much on the dogs that live with the author, who recounts her experiences as a volunteer working with shelter dogs & fosters. She gives a thorough account of what to expect & how to adjust to these dogs. This is very much needed, as most of us have over-idealized visions of humans rescuing animals. It takes work & commi ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 Kristin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4000-books

Amy Sutherland visits animal shelters all over the country as well as pioneers in the field to show her readers the struggles that dogs and shelter workers face. She highlights the discussion of the dogs' plights by sharing the stories of specific dogs, including the shelter dogs she and her husband adopted. Telling interesting, endearing, and humorous stories of these dogs, she explores the subject of "No kill" animal shelters, fostering shelter dogs, the plight of "patties" or pit bulls, and n ...more

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Oct 30, 2018 Eric rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thought it a bit presumptuous to call this an "unforgettable" journey into the world of shelter dogs, but it was very good, and does give me the motivation to name Amy Sutherland a true hero of the shelter dog. There is a good deal of statistics here; enough to engage the true dog lover in contemplating some of the likely and unlikely numbers that are bandied about when people talk "non-kill" and "kill" shelters - things may not always be what they seem. The later chapter about the efficacy of ...more

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May 21, 2017 Sharon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

After volunteering at our local animal shelter for over ten years and fostering hundreds of animals and walking dogs countless hours, I was interested to read a book about someone who has done something similar. What I found was an interesting book with not just stories of her fostering and volunteer work, but research about what didn't work/what is working/what could be better and other ideas. Most interesting was the shelter that works with ways to keep pets IN homes when they are thinking the ...more

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Sep 21, 2018 Lynda rated it it was amazing

I devoured this book. I found an excerpt through surfing the net, read it, bought the book and finished it. Today!

The amount of information about shelters, volunteering, emotional ties and many other aspects of working with and for dogs in general but mostly about “homeless” or shelter dogs is just amazing. She talks about the history of sheltering and many other topics so that I know more now than I ever thought I would.

Additionally she keeps it interesting and entertaining. It isn’t just dog ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Maureen Caupp rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: animal lovers

Shelves: animals

I am not a dog person at all, but I loved this book. Amy Sutherland mixes the storytelling of her own experience volunteering with dogs in shelters and her own dogs adopted from that shelter, with research about the shelter and rescue world to give readers an honest look into shelter life for dogs. I cried, I laughed, and smiled with joy over the story of some of the dogs. The author looks into how shelters are trying to find more dogs loving homes, keep animals in homes, and help people so that ...more

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Nov 22, 2019 Shelley Pearson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, 2019, animals

I've enjoyed every Amy Sutherland book that I've read, so I was super excited to learn about her book about shelter dogs shortly after I adopted a shelter dog! She prefers dogs that are the opposite of my dog, though - older, bigger dogs that have health conditions or trauma. She writes about her experience volunteering at her local shelter, and then goes in-depth into different shelter styles and techniques to get the dogs adopted. I learned a lot about dogs and shelters, and I also liked learn ...more

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Jul 27, 2017 Misty Melsheimer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dogs, non-fiction, memoir

A very real look into the lives of shelter dogs, and the rewards and heartbreak that come with volunteering. While this book did not sugarcoat life in the shelter for these dogs, and I was brought to tears on more than one occasion, it nevertheless reinforced that I want to do my part to help these beautiful creatures. I'm currently waiting for my volunteer application to be approved at a local dog shelter. ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 Dave Allen rated it it was amazing

A wonderful book that intertwines with the author's relationship with her rescued dogs and her volunteer experiences, and the various efforts by shelters nationwide to find homes for all the homeless animals that come through their doors.

Mixing anecdotes, interviews and solid research, Sutherland's writing is clear and easy to read, even if it gets hard to make it through heartbreaking tales of the 'unadoptables' without tearing up. ...more

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Nov 16, 2017 Sharon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dogs

Great stories from a volunteers point of view. Book includes different methods used at shelters including walking, play groups, shipping to other shelters. Also includes people who have innovated ways to train and unique places like the Best Friends. Discusses " No- Kill" shelters and what that really means. ...more

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Jan 09, 2018 Mary rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. It brought back so many memories of the dogs I walked and fostered at our shelter in St. Louis. The author did a great job of exploring the many issues animal welfare groups face in trying to find homes for dogs as well as in helping people keep their dogs is possible. This book will inspire more people to help out in whatever way they can.

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Apr 23, 2018 Milla rated it it was amazing

I have a hard time finding dog books I enjoy, as I generally find them to be overly sentimental or poorly written. I was hesitant as I began this one, but I was pleasantly surprised! I found it to be a really well-balanced, sweet, and thoughtful, and I learned a lot about how shelters run, too.

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