In these wild and crazy times of fake news and over-the-top hyperbole, it’s refreshing — and maybe a little insane — to see two young people put their lives on the line for a loose dog in the city, as you will see in this thrilling NYPost story, Dog Leads Cyclists on Dramatic Chase Through the Streets of New York.
Learn “What It Means to Be Loved By A Dog”, a nice piece from Margaret Renkl in The New York Times. (As if you didn’t know already — haha!)
Who says fairytales don’t exist — even for rescue dogs? Wait ’til you read the heartwarming story about a Beagle named Guy who went from being on death’s doorstep in a Kentucky shelter to riding alongside the Queen of England for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding last week! (People)
Yes, Wes Anderson’s new comedy, Isles of Dogs, had a special screening for dogs and their humans. Milk Duds not included (hopefully)! (NYT)
“The Pain of Loving Old Dogs”, Margaret Renkl’s beautiful column in The New York Times today, will not only touch your heart and soul — but also reminds you of what a gift it is to have a dog in the first place! (NYT)
The Montgomery family recently lost their beloved family dog — and boy does she (and her neighbors) have a wild tale to tell! (NYT)
Treat yourself, dog lovers, and read this heartwarming end-of-the-year op-ed piece, Inside of A Dog, by Jennifer Finney Boylan, which beautifully describes the pain and glory of dog rescue! (NYT)
The Dodo’s Facebook show, COMEBACK KIDS: ANIMAL EDITION, has become so popular online — over 130 million views — that there’s talk it may be moving to cable soon! (BI)
I’m usually not a fan of these clickbait polls, but this new study cited on Business Insider seems to find most dog lovers have a serious bias towards their furrier friends. (BI)
Sometimes a dog isn’t just a dog — as we’ve seen these past few years with the explosion of commercials using celebrity dog spokesmodels discovered on Instagram and Twitter. These well-paid (and surely well-fed) “pet influencers” get book deals, endorsement deals, and TV shows — but I’m still not convinced how well they take direction — as this recent article in (The New York Times) explains.
Scootch over Dogs of Instagram and #DogsofTwitter…here comes the #Dogs of Google Maps! (SFGate)
Following Atticus, an inspiring dog adventure memoir from Tom Ryan (no relation) is now only $1.99 via Goodreads/Amazon through 3/27.
First off, let me just say that I loved the book, A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, and was really looking forward to seeing the movie…
And then the horrific TMZ video came out, documenting potential abuse by the dog trainers on the set of the film. The writers, producers, and actors involved in the production — along with millions of moviegoers — were all justifiably horrified by what they saw on the disturbing clip.
However, later, after Cameron and the studio execs viewed ALL of the footage that took place during that day of filming, it was revealed that the video clip had been edited out of context to maximize the impact of the traumatic footage.
Unfortunately, by that point, the cat pooch was out of the bag, so to speak.
Gavin Polone, the big dog lover/producer on the film, wrote a compelling Hollywood Reporter column breaking down the whole incident, which explains the nasty dog fight brewing between PETA and Hollywood. (I’m assuming that part of PETA’s position has to do with the sad fact that past dog movies like 101 Dalmatians and Beverly Hills Chihuahua have inspired numerous “bad fad” pet adoptions — which later resulted in countless Dalmatians and Chihuahuas being returned back to rescue shelters once the new owners got “bored” with their new puppies and couldn’t handle all the responsibilities that it takes in caring for an animal.)
Tragically, no matter where you stand on this issue, there are no winners, as all dog movie fans and dog rescue advocates alike have been harmed during the making of this film.
With all the “Best of” lists coming out as we wrap up 2016 — I figured why not add a pile of this year’s dog books to the mix? If you’re looking for stocking stuffers or other pet presents, there’s plenty of reading material to entertain the dog person in your life!
FICTION
Lily and the Octopus (Steven Rowley)
Twelve Dogs of Christmas (David Rosenfelt)
Sit! Stay! Speak! (Annie England Noblin)
Earnest (Kristin Von Kreisler)
NON-FICTION
Being A Dog: Following the Dog into A World of Smell (Alexandra Horowitz)
Dogs and Their People (BarkPost)
The Secret Language of Dogs (Victoria Stilwell)
The Education of Will: A Mutual Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog (Patricia McConnell) – Available Feb 2017
Let Me Tell You About Jasper: How My Best Friend Became America’s Dog (Dana Perino)
Free Days with George: Learning Life’s Little Lessons from One Very Big Dog (Colin Campbell)
Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home (Pauls Toutonghi)
