About the Book:
An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man’s best friend, in the aftermath of the nation’s most notorious case of animal cruelty.
Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick’s brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant’s Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in “restitution” to the dogs.
As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves, unleashing priceless hope.
About the Author:
Jim Gorant has worked as a magazine editor and writer for twenty years, and is currently a senior editor at Sports Illustrated. His work has appeared in such magazines as Men’s Health, GQ, and Outside. Also the author of Fanatic: Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die, he lives in New Jersey.
My Review:
Jim Gorant’s work is outstanding! He took a major, major issue from the state of Virginia ( I grew up in Virginia Beach so this definitely piqued my interest!) and put it into a book. He wrote in a way that explained the details of the investigation and trial, as well as the childhood and teenage years of Michael Vick. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction books but when I do, I want them all to be as nicely written and explained as Jim Gorant’s The Lost Dogs!
I’ve always had a love for 4 legged furry beings, but before reading this book, I always tended to steer clear and be leery of Pit Bulls and larger dogs like Dobermans. I’ve always heard about how mean they can be towards children and people that get too close to them. And, me being an innocent when it comes to knowing about things like dogfighting, I certainly didn’t know anything about this Michael Vick case. But, Jim Gorant’s words and details to this case, really opened my eyes to the cruelty that’s being done to these poor animals. It made me realize that Pit Bulls and Dobermans are SERIOUSLY misunderstood animals. Like a human being, they need to be treated with care and love, and that’s how they’ll act in return.
It was incredible reading about how all the agents and deputies had to gather the evidence to convict Michael Vick and his “business” partners, and what all they had to go through to do it. I definitely agreed with every feeling and thought that Knorr and Brinkman had, and I, too, would do what they did, no questions asked! The dogfighting and cruelty that Vick put forth, no matter his fame in the NFL, is just ridiculous!
Complete with pictures of these precious animals of Michael Vick’s, The Lost Dogs is a 5 star informative book. I do recommend it to everyone, however, if you’re an animal lover like me, be prepared to cry and get angry! Please don’t let that statement alone discourage you from reading this book……it is a book that will open your eyes to the cruelty of animals and open your hearts to dogs that many people misunderstand. In the end of this book, you’ll be surprised at the emotions you feel! Well done, Gorant!
You can visit the other tour stops along the way-just click here!
You can purchase your copy here.
*This book was provided for review by TLC Book Tours*
