The Dogs Who Found Me: What I've Learned from Pets Who Were Left Behind

by Ken Foster

Overview

Now regarded as a classic in dog literature, Ken Foster's memoir chronicles his journey from first-time dog owner to rescuer--and all the lessons and mistakes he made along the way. Bookended by the tragedies of 9/11 and Katrina, Foster finds that dogs open his eyes to the benefits of compassion, selflessness, and the chaotic beauty of living each day in the moment.
But more than Foster's own story, readers remember the dogs. Among them are Duque, a Costa Rican stray; Brando, Foster's first adopted dog and a supposed pit bull mix who outgrew his Manhattan studio apartment; Rocco, a clownish red pit bull whose owner mistakenly gives him away to the wrong person; Zephyr, a cheerful Rottweiler mix who awakens Foster by sitting on his chest when his heart stops working; and Sula, the tiny lost pit bull who showed up at Foster's door one day and stayed.
Whether bearing witness to national tragedy, grieving the death of a friend, or dealing with his own mortality, Foster finds strength in his dogs, and in the reciprocal nature of rescue.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599215839
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	401 KB

About the Author

Ken Foster is the editor of two anthologies, including Dog Culture. His collection of short stories, The Kind I'm Likely to Get, was a New York Times Notable Book. His work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, and The Believer. He has taught at The New School, Florida State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Editorial Reviews

After Foster adopts his first dog, Brando, from a shelter, he can't help noticing an alarming number of stray dogs, which he had never noticed before. Once he starts looking for them, he finds strays everywhere: on the side of the road, at the dog park, at gas stations and stuck in drainage grates. But this book isn't about Foster as much as it's about his dogs, who help him through 9/11 (he lived in Manhattan then), a heart condition that lands him in the hospital and the deaths of two good friends. Foster's relationships with the three dogs in his life aren't a one-way street, though: when one dog gets a urinary infection every time Foster leaves, Foster realizes she "was trying to hold everything in until I returned." As if channeling the frank and fundamental nature of dogs, Foster's sentences hide little pretense or poetry. It's an appropriate writing style that lets Foster present his joys and sorrows plainly. Interspersing vignettes on topics such as missing dog posters, shelters, heartworms and understanding dogs' body language, Foster fleshes out this charming account of a life among dogs while providing hints for would-be dog savers. (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

"Generosity and gratitude power this compelling account of the reciprocal nature of rescue. Ken Foster illuminates a profound lesson about saving a life: Doing it makes you able to do it."–Amy Hempel, author of The Dog of the Marriage and Reasons to Live"I read this at once, and could hardly bear to put it down. This is a wonderful, strange book, beautiful and funny and moving. It delivers something crucial about bravery, the human spirit, and the place that dogs occupy in our landscapes. It's about confronting need, vulnerability and love, and responding."—Roxana Robinson"Ken Foster writes about the human/canine bond with wisdom, insight, and great heart. This is a fascinating and useful book, full of great stories and practical knowledge every dog lover needs. Ken's dogs are lucky to have found him, and so are his readers."—Sean Wilsey, author of Oh The Glory of it All"Foster's dogs are memorable, delightful characters, with vivid, poignant stories. THE DOGS WHO FOUND ME is a testament to the joys dogs bring, and to the beautyin the work of saving them."—Rene Steinke, National Book Award finalist for Holy Skirts"If you love dogs as much as Ken Foster, you will probably recognize yourself in much of The Dogs Who Found Me. You will remember your heart stopping or being shredded... only to be repaired with an even greater capacity to love."—Terry Bain, author of You Are A Dog“Pitbulls pitbulls pitbulls, and a man, like me, who loves them. Alternately brutal and sentimental, like the lives of the dogs he rescues. A very very cool book.” —James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard“This book isn't about Foster as much as it's about his dogs, who help him through 9/11, a heart condition that lands him in the hospital and the deaths of two good friends…Interspersing vignettes on topics such as missing dog posters, shelters, heartworms and understanding dogs' body language, Foster fleshes out this charming account of a life among dogs while providing hints for would-be dog savers.”—Publisher’s Weekly Review; “The book’s conversational, straightforward prose is one of its strengths. And Foster’s powers of observation and eye for meaningful detail elevate what he has to say above the level of the average memoir.”—www.numag.neu.edu(Northeastern University Magazine) “…an absorbing and quirky memoir…Foster’s style is blunt, funny and poignant. He smoothly melds the events of his turbulent life along with the gritty details of rescuing abandoned dogs into a piece that goes to the heart.”— San Francisco Chronicle “…[a] beautiful and funny account of dog love…This light, deeply felt chronicle puts that best-selling confection ‘Marley & Me’ in the shade.”— Plain Dealer

From the Publisher