Book ~ "Little Boy Blue" (2012) Kim Kavin

From Barron's ~ When journalist Kim Kavin decided that she wanted a puppy, she did what millions of people do every year: clicked on an online photo and submitted an application. She had no idea that the adorable brindle puppy—advertised as healthy and near her home in New Jersey—was actually a last-minute rescue from a gas-chamber shelter in North Carolina. 

Blue had arrived in the Northeast with at least a dozen other dogs in an RV that is just one among countless transports whose sponsors are dedicating their efforts to saving dogs by any means possible. Blue was happy and friendly, but he seemed to have endured some unusual albeit unknown ordeal. The dog’s manner prompted Kavin to trace his history all the way back to a long row of cages where Blue had been tagged to be put down in just three more days. 

Little Boy Blue is the true story of one sweet puppy’s journey of survival. It’s also a shocking exposé that describes a brutal ongoing reality inside some of this country’s taxpayer-funded shelters. But Little Boy Blue also tells an inspiring story of the grass-roots rescue network that has exploded across the nation in recent years. Readers will come to know and love a very special dog who now brings smiles to the faces of everyone he meets. From a single click of Kim Kavin’s computer mouse, Blue’s journey of a lifetime began. This is the story of Little Boy Blue, told with candor and a great deal of love. Readers will see Blue and other foster dogs that have been rescued by Kim Kavin in this book’s color photo insert. 

I was expecting a cute story about a woman and her dog.  Awesome!

Instead, I discovered it was a powerful exposé of animal shelters and rescues in the U.S.

Kim lives in New Jersey.  After she adopted Blue (who she named after the character in the movie, Old School), a sweet and friendly puppy, she was curious about where he came from.

She tracked his origins to a funded shelter in Person County, North Carolina, which has a gas chamber and a 95% kill rate.  Can you imagine??!!  Blue had been three days away from entering that gas chamber when he was taken by a dog rescue group, neutered in a "van", put in an RV and delivered to Kim in a parking lot.

This prompted her to investigate animal shelters, rescues, traveling neutering vans, animal hoarding, etc. And she's not afraid to name names.

This is a must-read for all dog lovers and will probably prompt you to do something ... anything ... to help dogs have a better life in forever homes.

What can you do?  Volunteer, foster dogs, neuter your dog so there isn't an over abundance of dogs, don't buy from puppy mills, buy rescue dogs instead of purebreds, investigate to whom you are donating your money so you can be assured that you aren't supporting shelters with gas chambers or who sell dogs for dogfighting, as bait, or for experiments.

I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.