Lance: A Spirit Unbroken

by Walter Stoffel

Marley meets… Cujo ? What would you do if there was a dog in your neighborhood forced to live outside day in/day out, at the mercy of abusers, wild animals and brutal weather? Walter does nothing—at first. Then, an accidental meeting with Lance, a Border Collie, sets the wheels in motion for a down-to-the-wire, life-saving rescue and a disappointing discovery: Lance turns out to be a threat to anyone he can get his teeth on—including his rescuers! Their lives turned upside down by this semi-feral “pet”, Walter and his wife Clara are forced to answer a painful question: do they euthanize the dog they rescued? Making their life-or-death choice even more difficult is Lance’s hilarious quirkiness; when not threatening, he’s incredibly entertaining—though a State Trooper, the local drug dealer, and a Megan’s Law parolee, among many others, would beg to differ. This rollicking, thought-provoking, and—at times—heart-wrenching true-life account of the unorthodox rescue of an unorthodox dog is guaranteed to captivate:
-Dog lovers
-Recovering addicts (there are numerous passages that the 12-step community will relate to)
-Survivors of child abuse (the author reveals his own poignant connection with Lance)
-Any reader who can laugh, cry, or enjoy having her/his faith in humanity restored.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Dogs

244 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2016

About the author

Walter Stoffel began his career as a writer in 2010. A lifelong procrastinator, he was determined to start, complete and publish a manuscript. That effort resulted in Lance: A Spirit Unbroken, a dog rescue memoir that has achieved five-star review status on three continents.

His follow-up effort, Arthur: The Beginning, is a work of historical fiction that chronicles the early years of a young boy struggling to grow up in the 1950s on Long Island.

Arthur: The Struggle Continues is the riveting sequel and provides more of the author’s unique blend of dramatic prose and cutting-edge wit.

Please visit Walter at The Penman’s Ship http://bit.ly/3qPwhep where you can enjoy his entertaining and thought-provoking essays.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the owners where asleep at night
Tucked up warmly in their beds
You where tethered in the yard
No place to lay your head

Just a pup when they put you there
Out in the rain and snow
How you ever survived your lot
I really just don't know

For ten long years they starved you
They beat you every day
But they never killed your spirit
They couldn't take that away.
Shirley
Lance a spirit unbroken is the harrowing story of a border collie who was abused by his owners for ten long years.
Outside day and night in wind,rain and snow, hungry and cold. One brave lady gave the dog food risking the wrath of the owners but enabling the dog to survive another day. The physical abuse that Lance suffered was horrific but they never broke his spirit.

One day Lance found another friend who together with his wife rescued Lance. However after ten long years Lance harboured a deep mistrust.

This is the story of one man's love for a dog and the challenges he faced to save him. It will make you laugh and it will also make you cry. A truly remarkable story that will live on in my heart for a very long time. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers BooksGoSocial and the author Walter Stoffel for a ARC of this book. This in no way biases my opinion of this book.

[Richard Bunning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good dog lover’s read, which may require the grabbing of a box of tissues before one reads to the inevitable end.
One of the strongest features of this book is that it is undoubtedly one hundred percent true. One knows that every incident happened just like that, without Stoffel being drawn into even plumping up the truth. We get a feel for exactly what it is like, not just living with a headstrong dog but one that has been severely damaged by past treatment. We can’t help but appreciate what a commitment any dog, let alone a Lance was. The sad thing is that, it is those that don’t appreciate animals that would most benefit from reading this book. In reality, most readers are going to be committed dog lovers who understand the sentient nature of the creatures. This is the sort of book that should be required reading for those planning on having a dog as a pet. Many of the manifest problems in Lance are extreme, but they are common to all dogs by degree. Collies, especially pure bred/inbred ones, quite plausibly because they are particularly intelligent dogs, are prone to psychotic behaviour.
I was drawn to remember the intelligently calm behaviour of George the sheepdog, in the closing years of a tough life, in Thomas Hardy’s ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’, as contrasted with George’s son, the over-excitable and scatty younger dog that may have been born with a touch of madness. In human terms, I believe we might say that the first ten years of Lance’s tough life left him with a containable but incurable schizophrenia, even if he was as potentially well-adjusted as George when he was born. Humans are no different. Once driven to madness there is often no road that leads to a full recovery. The author and his wife did all they could to give Lance a stable and loving home. I draw attention to this classic 19th Century book to demonstrate that
Chapter by chapter, this read is very entertaining. I am though critical of the quantity of repetition and back-peddling. There were too many times when the author seemed to be say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of something earlier’, and then proceeds to run back to an earlier point in the chronology. In the end, that is a minor criticism though temporarily distracting.
Stoffel’s writing style makes for easy reading. My overall thoughs on reaching the end were of pleasure in having been so well entertained. Of course, the story contains a lot of sadness when inevitably the end of the book was also the end of the line for Lance. I have little doubt that the author was changed more by their tight companionship than was ever the dog.

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars
Lance is a heart breaking story. It's a story of complete horror lined with hope and love. Get your tissue boxes ready and prepare to watch a dog finally find a life after years of abuse and neglect. This is not a Disney story where everything works out fine with just some love, some scars can never be forgotten. Lance suffered for 10 years. He will never be the dog he should have been, and yet their are people who want to try to give him something of a normal life. Life with Lance is not easy, it's very hard.
I couldn't have done it. I went back and forth feeling grateful to these people for taking the dog in and anger that they did. Why anger ? Well he allowed an unstable, known aggressive dog run loose, on trails, in areas with people and animals. He allowed Lance to jump all over in the car while driving, almost hitting other cars. The dog was out of his sight often, with him hoping Lance didn't bite anyone or if he'd come back. He read as so irresponsible. The last straw was how they didn't file legal action with the police, animal control on the horribly abusive first owners.

[ella ☆ any pronouns · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a free PDF copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and 100% honest.**

If you are a dog lover, you have to read Lance: A Spirit Unbroken.

Parts of this story are quite cataclysmic, but other parts are full of nothing, but pure humor. I will say, though, that the overall vibe of it is a lot more cataclysmic, however.

Throughout the story, I felt so connected and close not only to Lance but to the author, Walter, too. How this is written makes it very easy to engross yourself into the characters and develop so much feeling for them. Lance and Walter both have such inspiring stories. There is a heavy chance that you will be crying by the end, just a warning!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lance: A Spirit Unbroken is a heartbreaking story about what can happen when a beautiful animal is neglected and abused. Lance was a border collie given to a family to try and heal their problems. It didn't do that, and Lance ended up being the victim in the situation. The family left him tied up outside, often without food until a neighbour intervened. She began to feed him and her husband built him a doghouse so he had some shelter. She tried to walk him, but she was too old to restrain him. She convinced another neighbour, Walter, to take over exercising Lance and he became attached to him. Knowing how he was living, Walter and his wife bought a new home with a yard with the intention of becoming Lance's owners. They eventually achieved that, but Lance has so many emotional problems and scars, that it was more like Lance owned them. It was not easy, but they refused to give up on him, even though he was so unpredictable and Walter's wife had to steer clear in danger of being bitten. This is a story of a dog who refused to give up and the man who refused to give up on him. It is heartbreaking to see the way Lance was treated for his first ten years and the damage that did to him, but there is hope that there are people like Walter out there. If you are a dog lover and want to read true stories about rescued animals, then I recommend this story to you.

[R.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a major dog-lover myself, and having had experience with raising a Border Collie mix (like Lance), I was looking forward to reading about this bittersweet rescue of an abused dog. My own darling pup is a rescue himself so stories like these are inspiring to me. And though Lance’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, there was a lot about this book, in particular, that really just didn’t add up to me.

Lance’s rescuers are extremely strong people to have put up with what they did to save Lance from his neglected state of being and I love the heart and passion the author had for this dog–I certainly wouldn’t have lasted through what he did!– but a lot of the stories he told seemed off to me. For one, the author himself admitted, throughout many of the chapters, to not believing a lot of the abusive stories he heard from neighbors about Lance, and he admitted himself that Lance didn’t act as though he’d been abused, so to continue to claim that he had endured a life of abuse when hardly any of the symptoms or tells were there seemed like an exaggerated story. Neglected, yes, and I agree that Lance should have been rescued from that life, but a lot of the “stories” just didn’t add up in the way the author talked about the dog and described his attitude and demeanor, and the stories he told about his supposed past. They were contradicting. It sounded like a lot of tall-tales and speculations made up by busybodies and gossipers who didn’t like the family, which is common in neighborhoods (believe me, I’ve heard some crazy ones myself!).

Another thing that really struck me as odd was that the author just, took the dog. Stole him, as he himself admitted, without reporting the negligence to any sort of authority. Sure, Lance deserved a better life than being chained to a dog run and left without food and water, but buying another house for the purpose of moving away to steal a dog is an odd way to perform a rescue. There are so many easier ways (?).

The last thing that needs to be said is that Lance’s owners sounded as if they knew very little about the care of a dog. They took a dog who had lived it’s entire life outside ( estimated ten years) and forced it indoors and wondered why it started going ballistic on everyone. And instead of compromising with the dog, and getting him a large dog run or fenced in area and letting him stay outside to bring him in the extreme weather conditions only (not all outdoor dogs are neglected! Our border collie mix was spoiled rotten and lived outside because she couldn’t be brought in! And a LOT of the bigger dogs actually prefer the freedom to sniff about and dig rather than being stuck inside!), they kept him inside and just let him attack their friends and family! The author even describes instances in which his family refused to visit because the dog couldn’t be trusted not to attack and bite anyone, including the owners themselves! I’m sorry, but at some point you would think they would try to find him a bigger place to run, rehome him, find a rehab place since they cared so much about him, something, instead of letting their friends and families be scared of visiting because of a dog who attacks everyone and can’t be controlled. They blamed Lance’s aggressiveness on medical disorders and the harsh life of his past, but if the author’s stories are accurate in the timeframes and how he wrote this book, Lance was never a dangerous dog until they couped him up inside and limited his outings.

Maybe a lot of what I gathered was in the way the author thought certain things were funny and worded them in a way that I misunderstood, I don’t know, but this book struck me as a messy rescue at best. Sure there were some sweet stories sprinkled in there, and some funny instances, but towards the end of the book I just got frustrated at the situation and how the lines weren’t connecting in the cause and effects. I am, however, grateful for the heart of the author and his passion for Lance, they really seemed like quite the pair the first half of the book and I easily fell in love with Lance myself. His care-free, exploratory nature reminded me so much of my Watson, and it was sad to watch him turn into the misunderstood, aggressive dog.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars because the book itself is well written and includes lots of pictures with Lance, but there was a decent amount of cursing present and I’m really just not sure how I feel about the story.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.

[Gordon Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this is a book about a dog. You know that at the end the dog’s going to die. Such is the nature of dog books. However, the difference in this case is that for most of the book you’re not sure you’re going to be that unhappy. I mean, this is one of those dogs that should be put down now, immediately, before it hurts someone. But you know that with Walter and Clara, it’s not gonna happen.

The simple way to put it is that Lance has PTSD. The product of an abusive and neglected life for ten years, he cannot get over his trauma and become anything like a normal dog. To top it off, he’s a Border Collie, the most intelligent and demanding member of the canine species.

And since it’s pretty certain from the start that this dog is not going to be salvageable, the story soon becomes more about the journey of the owners, not the dog. It is their sometimes-wavering determination not to let Lance down like the rest of the human race has done that drives the conflict.

The essential similarity between the author and his pet does not go unnoticed, although perhaps in more ways than Stoffel mentions. As with much autobiography, it is fun to wonder whether authors realize how much they are revealing about themselves.

In any case, by the time we get to the end of the book we have been brought around to a different point of view, and the conclusion is as satisfactory as you can get when one of the heroes has to die.

Recommended for lovers of dogs with interesting characters. And for lovers of people with similar problems.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

No good deed goes unpunished.
Walter and Clara become a living embodiment of this adage when they adopt an abused dog. For 10 years, Lance has lived a horrible life, staked out in the backyard of by a family who has no business owning a gerbil let alone an intelligent border collie. Walter thinks Lance will have a much better life with them and he does, but the dog can’t shake off the damage he suffered. Unpredictable and often violent, Lance turns their home into a house people are afraid to visit and where the residents live in constant anticipation of getting bitten.
Walter, knowing Lance needs exercise, if happy to walk him but the dog insists on hours-long treks through the woods when he isn’t breaking out of his enclosure and sneaking onto a school bus. The kids sacrifice their lunches in an effort to get him to leave.

At times tragic, at others hilarious, Lance turns every car trip into a bout of canine hysteria, destroying kennels which are built to contain wolves. On a few occasions, Lance stumbles into drug deals in the woods, dragging Walter into some very awkward encounters.

The story of Lance is one of two people determined to do the right thing even when the right thing keeps biting them. It is also the story of a dog who wants to be a good, but can’t quite pull it off.
Everyone who wants to know why children and animals should not be abused should read this book.

Highly recommended.

[RichardR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance: A Spirit Unbroken by Walter Stoffel

This is an amazing story by an exceptional writer. Lance is a border collie that was kept outdoors, abused and neglected for ten years. At first Stoffel "adopts" him by taking him on walks. Then he rescues Lance by stealing him from the neglectful owners. Sometimes dogs randomly punished and mistreated become docile and helpless. Sometimes they become unpredictably vicious. Lance was the latter. Stoffel and his wife reorganize their lives around an unpredictable biter that doesn't like to be petted or even touched. Lance alienates friends, family and neighbors, but Stoffel sticks by him. There are lots of long walks in the forest with encounters with bears, porcupines, swans, drug dealers, and police. Lance never really settles down. I wondered why they put up with this devil dog, or how long could they stand it. Toward the end, Stoffel reveals that he had a difficult upbringing and a tough childhood. He's now a counselor in a prison. The story of Lance is really one of psychological projection and personal redemption. Intentionally, or not, Lance's life was an allegory. Just when you expect the book to be winding down, it becomes more powerful.

[Robert Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walter Stoffel ranks as a master storyteller. This tale will enthrall you, amaze you. Don't be misled by the cute pictures of Lance. How he and his wife Clara put up with this dog also rates them both Medals of Honor for animal rescue and persistence. He tells the story with wit and a sense of adventure. The shenanigans Lance and the author shared will amaze, astound, and have you shaking your head. Both as a child and adult, I've always had dogs as pets, but never one that I could measure with Lance. But I am amazed at the patient persistence of his rescuers--I never would have survived those seven years!
Thank Heaven for folks like the Stoffels who took this virtually feral animal not only to care for, but treasure him. The author speaks of Lance at the end with such reverence that it brought tears to my eyes. A Spirit Unbroken will make you laugh, cry, and shake your head in wonder, and even perhaps in agony. Don't miss it.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking, moving and great book. A must read for dog lovers.
It's an emotional rollercoaster, you will cry, be moved and happy.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

[Venae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this book! I can't put it down. The adventures of Lance keep making me turn the pages of this fantastic book. I'm addicted to the words on the pages and the stories each day that I easily envision. I appreciate having a book such as this that is an easy read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, made me cry with the injustice of it all!

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a magnificent story of a dog who indeed refused to allow his spirit to be broken and the people who rescued him from cruelty! In many ways this novel will break the heart of the reader over and again, yet there is much good to be seen throughout. The author tells the true story of Lance, a Border Collie who was abused beyond understanding, and the life the author and his wife shared with Lance after his rescue.

“If this book makes one dog’s life safe, then my writing will not be in vain.” (page 3) Walter saw Lance in a fenced yard for a couple years when out jogging in his neighborhood. The dog clearly wanted attention, but he continued to jog past, time after time. He lived in an apartment that didn’t allow dogs, and the dog did have a home and owner. Until the day Walter saw an older, white-haired lady walking the rambunctious, black and white firecracker and she asked if he wanted a dog.

Anna, a neighbor of the people where Lance was kept, walked the dog on a leash regularly for years, but this Border Collie needed more. To Walter, who had a dog when he was a child, taking Lance out was like a return to the simpler days of being out with his dog. He quickly found someplace other than the neighborhood to take him. For Lance, the first time Walter took him to a nearby park and took off the leash was the first time he was totally free, and the ten-year-old acted like a puppy.

This began a long-term relationship between a dog whose behavior was at times acceptable, at other times beyond frightening to Walter and his wife Clara. The things they learned in upcoming years about the cruelty Lance suffered led them to adapt, accept, and continue to give him a chance. It showed the results of animal cruelty and what this Border Collie had overcome to stay alive, even if his behavior was broken through his own kind of PTSD, his own self-preservation. Yet through it all was a bond of love and respect.

One thing I appreciated was how the author, a drug and alcohol abuse counselor, used some of the sayings around 12-step rooms to care for Lance. It is a demonstration of how to “practice these principles in all our affairs”. It also brings fond memories of an injured cat we took in with his own behavior challenges that love, acceptance, and fear, brought us a beautiful, if too short, life together.

I highly recommend this beautiful, heart-wrenching, true story of Lance and the people who took a chance on him to anyone who loves dogs and is interested in animal behavior when rescuing or fostering. It is written with the same excellence the author and his wife used when caring for Lance and is an honor to his memory.

From a thankful heart: I won this ebook from a Goodreads First Read contest; a positive review was not required.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance: A Spirit Unbroken by Walter Stoffel is the most heart breaking book I have read in a long while. It is the true story of Lance, an abused Border Collie, and his rescue by the author and his wife. Lance’s story broke my heart, it made me angry, and filled me with love for a dog that I will never know and it made me cry. I knew what was coming but what I didn’t expect was the emotional attachment I had made to Lance during the book and the tears I would cry. I felt bereaved as the book ended, as if a part of me was missing. I really connected with Lance: A Spirit Unbroken.
I am full of admiration for Walter Stoffel and his wife. They went above and beyond the extra mile when they rescued Lance. This book is as much a tribute to their love and perseverance as it is to Lance’s will to survive.
Abused for ten years this poor dog should have been dead but Lance’s strength of will and spirit is truly amazing. A lesser dog would have given in.
This book is a love story – a great love by a couple for a poor dog who had only known cruelty and abuse. The love shines out from the pages. I ‘caught’ the love for Lance. I did not know him before reading the book but now I do, such is the power of Walter Stoffel’s writing.
I am a cat person. I have never owned a dog but I really wish I had known Lance. A piece of my heart will always be left behind in the final chapter of the book.
I loved the inclusion of the photos of Lance – so many gorgeous ones. I only had the kindle version I imagine the paperback version is even better.
A wonderful, heart breaking true story of a dog who deserved a better start than he had but who found love in the end. Thank you Walter Stoffel and bless you for sharing the story of Lance.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

[Signe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the goodreads Giveaway kindle edition.

I usually give memoirs high ratings because they are a special telling of one's life and experiences. This memoir really earns it on a number of levels. The memoir is like listening to a good friend tell dog stories.

His writing is at once humurous, reflective, down to earth. I laughed out loud more than I recall ever laughing while reading a book.

Having also taken in rescued herding dogs, I know what a tremendous but special challenge they are. The dogs I had were not quite as difficult as Lance, but also suffered from PTSD, random panic attacks, occasional disassociation. My last dog I calculated having walked over 10k miles with him over the years. I too understand how healing it is to have a walking dog. One of them also paced in the car to the point that he wore a hole in the leather passenger seat from turning around. He pretty much walked the entire way everywhere I drove him. In fact, he trashed my new car over the years and I don't care. He was much more valuable than a car any day.

This book at its core is about a couple rescuing a neighborhood dog who has been horribly abused and neglected. It is disappointing that people can be so cruel, and sad to know that the people who abused his dog kept getting more dogs. It's hard to understand how sick people can be, and they definitely leave a legacy for the rest of us to deal with.

Still, it is encouraging to be reminded that there are still goodhearted people out there. I enjoyed Walter's observation's about life lessons that Lance the Borderline Collie taught him. Dogs really can be the best teachers sometimes.

If you love dogs and dog stories, this book is a great one.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance is a memoir story about a dog that is rescued only for their owners to realize later on the extensive amount of work and trouble they have gotten themselves in. This humorous book discusses a Border collie dog that has endured many years of hardship and abuse before a man and woman rescue him. However, the new owners are clueless about what they have done, and once they find out the real reason for Lance being prisoned, they then have to make some critical and heart aching choice.


As I read along, I noticed that I was at ease bonding with the situation and realistically sensing my present into the scenes. It was very touching to feel the same way as the characters did and to have questions that were later on answered in the book. As a dog owner myself, I found it very hard to read some parts only because of how much I love animals.

The intention behind the memoir is to bring Lance’s painful obscurity and to give him the recognition he deserves. I sincerely believe that the author did just that.

The literature was easy to read and follow. The work read like a fictional story even though it was a fact. It included all the right emotions, attitudes, realness and authentic experiences we all endure when we favor a pet and love. The humor added a huge positive fact to the story, and I appreciated the real intentions behind writing this book. I also admired the additional mention of the connection the author has with Lace in order to bond the whole story together.



I recommend this book to people who love animals, especially dogs. This book is for memoir fans and anyone who is up for an emotional yet funny read.

[Michelle cabral · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, I love Lance! I may be a little biased because I have a border collie, so I felt a strong connection to Lance, but regardless of that, I think we can all connect to Lance in one way or another. It’s a story about a dog’s will to live and the humans that made it possible. I am in admiration of Walter and his wife and found myself cheering them on for not giving up on Lance, it truly brought solace to my heart to know that Lance was able to find a home base where he was afforded safety and love. Thank you, Walter Stoffel, for writing this, and to answer his question- yes, absolutely. Lance’s story was worth telling. This book is brilliant, visceral, humorous, and heart breaking. I appreciated Walter Stoffel’s clear, witty, engaging writing style, made for an easy read, I could not put the book down!!!! But be warned, it’s a tearjerker. It’s tragic yet uplifting. It is a book about the long-lasting effects of trauma, about resilience, about not giving up, and about accepting that when someone has been hurt so violently; sometimes baseline is just as good as full recovery. It’s been about one week since I read this book and I’m still thinking about Lance. I’m grateful he was brought into my consciousness, I feel it will help me be a stronger advocate for animal rights and for the voiceless.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I kept wanting to scream, stop letting this unpredictable dog run free!, I was touched by the story of Lance, a border collie who was finally rescued from a horribly abusive situation. I'll never understand why anyone makes the effort to bring a pet into their lives and then won't do even the bare necessities for that animal. It saddened me that the previous owners of Lance went on to get more dogs. This is the biggest problem. Taking an animal out of the situation then allows the people to put another animal in its place. I'm thankful Lance got to live out his last 7 years in a home with people who cared for him (even with his major issues), but am saddened that these people were allowed to still own animals.

I initially received an eARC from BooksGoSocial and NetGalley, but ended up listening to the audiobook borrowed from my local library.

[Kanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I think it was the philosopher Nietzsche who said that if something doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger. Lance was his proof."

"This dog was a real die-hard."

Walter Stoffel's Lance: A Spirit Unbroken is a well-written and narrated book about the incredible and unforgettable life of Lance, a Border Collie dog.

"How do you spell 'Lance'? N-e-v-e-r-a-d-u-l-l-m-o-m-e-n-t!"

Walter covers the life moments (difficult, brutal, happy and funny) of Lance in wonderful detail.

"His life has been the very definition of pure hell." "By continuing to exist, he was beating all the odds."

Much of this memoir is heavy and heartbreaking, yet there are many warm, joyful and memorable moments.

This book can also be read as 'A practical guide on how to properly raise a dog.'

"To this day, we both still marvel at such an incredible expression of humaneness, especially since it came from an animal, an animal that himself had been treated so inhumanely."

Thrown outside as a puppy to be forgotten, Lance turned out to be unforgettable.

According to Lama Surya Das, "Dogs teach us about faith, trust, and devotion; how to never give up; and how to keep coming back and just show up... which is more than half the battle."

[Gena - My Book Reviews for You · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance’s story, although sometimes heartbreaking, is a wonderful look at life with a mischievous dog. This book is the non-fiction account of Border Collie Lance’s life. Lance was kept in unimaginable conditions outside by his first owners for years from the time he was a young puppy. When he was about ten years old, Walter becomes a part of his life. Walter starts to take Lance for walks when he can. Soon, Walter and his wife Clara make the decision to try to get ownership of Lance. This begins a whole new chapter in Lance’s life. One where Walter and Clara give him everything a dog deserves, including love and shelter. Because of the abuse and neglect that Lance experienced, Lance never quite loses all of his wild ways and can not be fully trusted. Still, Walter and Clara can’t give up on Lance and adapt their lives around Lance so that they can all live together. Over the years, Walter takes Lance for many a walk and excursion in the woods. Walter tells the stories of the days where they try to co-exist with Lance with honesty and humor. Lance is still full of energy and a real handful with his antics! What a blessing that Walter and Clara were able to give Lance a chance to live a real dog’s life with a home, food, and exercise for many years!

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars....
"Thrown outside as a puppy to be forgotten, Lance turned out to be unforgettable." That's how Stoffel concludes this true story about the life of a troubled dog who just wouldn't give up on life no matter what the odds.

Lance - aka "Poopinski," "the Poopalator," "Borderline Collie" and "Devil Dog" - was also loved very deeply, in spite of, or perhaps because of his flaws.

This book is unforgettable, too. And I'd like to give it four stars, or even five. But I cannot. It does deserve five stars for the story (which is all true), and at least four stars for poignancy and pathos. But the writing is un-spectacular and the editing less so. A good editor could have easily turned this into a five-star read. Nevertheless, it's a book every dog lover will find stirring. So even though I gave it only 3.5 stars, I still highly recommend it. Buy it. Read it. If you love dogs (especially Border Collies) you won't regret it.

[Bob Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love dogs, you’ll enjoy this book. It is nonfiction, being Walter’s experience with rescuing a border collie from hell, but bears out the cliché of fact being stranger than…

Lance was in incredibly traumatized and abused dog, and the extent of the cruelty keeps emerging as the story unfolds. However, this is not a horror story, or even a sad one, but one full of laughs, partly thanks to Walter’s light, humorous, clear writing style.

To most people, Lance would have been impossible to live with, but Walter and his wife, Clara, have my unbridled admiration. They reacted to a multiplicity of impossible behavior with unconditional love for a four-legged person who desperately needed it.

If you want an amusing read, and at the same time be inspired, you can’t go past Lance’s story.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC for my honest review.

I have no idea why this book was written. It was repetitive and pointless. Lance is a dog that has lived in hell for 10 years of his life and Walter rescues him by buying a new house for this dog. All Walter has ever done is take him for walks but he decides that Lance should live with him even though he has been told he doesn't do well inside of houses and the owners really don't want to give him up. I applaud that he did what he did and this poor dog at least got to live inside of a house for the remaining years he had but I didn't really see the point of this dog. He didn't do any special and Clara and Walter lived in fear and terror for years. Just wasn't my kind of book I guess.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dog should never have lived the ten long years chained in the yard subject to extreme abuse. And unfortunately, living through the abuse, the spirit in this animal that absolutely would NOT give up, is discovered (after Walter and Clara adopt him) to carry mountains of baggage.

His previous owners have left him with an extreme case of PTSD; he is psychotic, schizophrenic. Is he salvageable? Probably not. Yet, there is an intangible something there. Absolutely unpredictable behavior, the only thing for sure they can count on is not being able to pet their new rescue.

The conundrum here is not so much Lance as Walter. His canine experience either totally lacking or his confidence in turning the dog around grew to extremes in lack of common sense (something he freely admits) when dealing with a highly intelligent Border Collie. Cats, kids? No problem. How many times did this dog rescue his rescuers? He could show compassion, sympathy, and there were times he had them totally entertained, mesmerized with his antics.

Bottom Line: Loved the book, cringe-worthy as much of it is. What bothered me was the shocking trials of off-leash stories, car rides (a serious threat to not only themselves but to anyone else on the road), and the continued abuse of new animals by the previous owners with no one stopping those idiots getting a new dog. Also, I must note the amount of redundancy. The conclusion, though expected, is hard to take. Thrilled, and terrified at the same time, that the dog could actually get those years to get out and run like the wind, bound over rocks, trees, and into ponds like a normal dog.

I received a request from the author for an honest opinion of his memoir of Lance in exchange for a free copy. Hard to put this book down, his storytelling is compelling. I did so enjoy the narrative and appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for any fan of dogs or pets. 4.5/5

See my full review at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2019/...

Lance: loved unconditionally!

A highly intelligent border collie abused for the first ten years of his life! This book shows a love and fortitude seldom seen. I was extremely moved by this lovingly crafted account. Bravo to the author! CE Williams free from the author for an honest opinion.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this ebook off of Goodreads give away.

The author did a wonderful job of drawing you into the story.
This is about Lance a dog that live has delete a bad hand and the person that
has fought to give him a second chance. Lance has not given up on live even though
most of us would have thrown in the towel and given up.

Walter Stoffel is the person that has done everything to help Lance have a second chance at
having the life he should of been given. Even thou thing have not seem to go the way Walter
would like he will not give up on Lance to chance. There are good days and bad. Neather Walter
or Lance will give up.

Would we have gone that extra mile if we where Walter. This is a heart breaking story . Well worth the read if you are an animal lover or not.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart breaking and hair raising story. Get a box of Kleenex ready. The story was one wild coaster ride. Happy the dog was rescued, why was the dog rescued, why weren't previous owners prosecuted and locked up for life, how could the new owners allow the dog so much freedom (he could have mauled someone!), Poor Lance! Life dealt him lemons with no sugar... Dog lovers in particular and animal lovers in general should enjoy this story. Horrifying enough to make a horror movie... so maybe horror fans will enjoy a real life scary story.

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not an easy read. Although it was published in 2016, the actual story took place well over 10 years ago. Explains a bit about how things were handled back then. This couple deserves a medal and a pedestal for giving their all and going above and beyond for a dog that was a victim of neglect and abuse. I applaud them for never giving up and understanding and realizing animals are a product of the people that raise them. They can be mentally and emotionally scarred just like people. I wish the world had more people like them …who cared and loved and gave without limitations.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance is a border collie, a breed that loves to run and socialize. He spent the first 10 years of his life chained outside with the only kindness, caring and walks coming not from his owners but from strangers in his neighborhood. Such a sad history for a dog that had such potential. The prior owners should have been arrested for abuse. Kudos to the author (and his wife) for rescuing Lance and sharing his indomitable spirit in this story.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book "Lance: A Spirit Unbroken" from goodreads and all opinions expressed are my own. This book was okay. About the half way point I started getting a bit bored. The book was repetitive. It was nice that they gave the dog a home but I don't know how they lived like that - in fear in their own home. I love dogs but really there comes a point where you have to say to yourself that this is no way to live. In fear of the dog for yourself and others to come to harm.