Pub Date: July 21, 2015
Available for pre-order
Lessons from Tara: Life Advice from the World’s Most Brilliant Dog
David Rosenfelt
Readers of Mr. Rosenfelt’s books already know his devotion
to dogs, especially to Tara, the inspiration behind his work with his wife,
Debbie Myers, rescuing dogs, and the namesake of their foundation. Without
Tara, Rosenfelt tells us, they would likely never have become the nutty dog
people they are now; Dogtripping, his
book recounting their trip across country with three RVs full of rescued dogs,
would certainly never have been written or experienced; and he’d likely be
getting a full night’s sleep every night instead of being buried in a pig pile
of dogs on his bed.
And of course, life would not have been nearly as rich and
rewarding. So, as another tribute to Tara, Rosenfelt has written this lovely,
funny, poignant collection of lessons learned, not just from Tara, but from
many of the souls they have rescued over the years. The credit for all of the
lives saved he gives to Tara:
“The lessons in this book are the ones I learned
from Tara and her friends. She never met any of them, but she saved every one
of their lives.
“And I am forever grateful.”
The lessons are simple, seemingly transparent, but carry
with them a deep understanding of what it means to love. David and Debbie have
given their home and their hearts to all sorts of dogs, but primarily to
seniors, who have only a few months or years left. Rosenfelt’s mission is to
allow these forgotten canines to spend their final days in a home with human
compassion and loads of canine companionship, rather than to slowly waste away
in a shelter. Obviously, this means constant and expensive vet visits and
knowledge that the next one may be the last. Possibly one of the most important
lessons Tara taught David was how to cry, because doing what they do, he must accept
the sorrow of saying goodbye again and again and again.
Dog lovers will relish the wit and wisdom in these pages,
while perhaps being thankful to share a bed with only one or two creatures:
“…[T]here are always at least four dogs on the bed, though
it can get as high as six. The regulars are Wanda, the mastiff; Jenny, a lab
mix; Cheyenne, a Great Pyrenees; and Boomer, Cheyenne’s sister. And these are
not small dogs; they represent a little more than four hundred pounds of dog….”
I for one will never complain again about being stuck in a
fetal position all night when Katrina is sleeping horizontally across the
bottom of our bed, while Sophie and Nellie the cat are occupying the middle,
and sharing part of my pillow. The thought of tossing a Great Pyrenees and a
mastiff into the mix is unfathomable. Kudos to Debbie and David! And thanks to
another wonderful book, the legacy of Tara lives on.
No comments:
Post a Comment