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Summary: Life as a dog
Review: A fascinating account of one man's crusade to rescue the stray dogs of St. Louis, this book gives us incredible insight into the issues surrounding the stray animal problem in this country. I learned more than I knew there was to know about feral dogs and their place in our society. But this book is not just about dogs - the lessons learned could just as easily be applied to the "capture" and "saving" of all the other strays found in our cities--including those lost & homeless children who have become so commonplace. The behaviors they exhibit are scarily similar to those described by Randy Grim in this book. A gripping tale and one which should be read by anyone interested in the plight of all the strays of the world.
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Summary: the saint of St. Louis
Review: A warts'n'all portrait of a man who devotes every spare moment and every spare dollar to rescuing abandoned and abused dogs from the streets of St. Louis. Though numerous stories about dogs tortured and neglected may be upsetting to sensitive readers, this is ultimately a deeply inspirational story about how one man CAN make a difference. As soon as I can, I'm hunting down his address and sending him a check. Makes a good companion piece with Kat Albrecht's THE LOST PET CHRONICLES.PS: As I write this, the animal shelter in Buffalo may be a victim of budget cuts. One step forward, two steps back.
Rating:
Summary: the saint of St. Louis
Review: A warts'n'all portrait of a man who devotes every spare moment and every spare dollar to rescuing abandoned and abused dogs from the streets of St. Louis. Though numerous stories about dogs tortured and neglected may be upsetting to sensitive readers, this is ultimately a deeply inspirational story about how one man CAN make a difference. As soon as I can, I'm hunting down his address and sending him a check. Makes a good companion piece with Kat Albrecht's THE LOST PET CHRONICLES. PS: As I write this, the animal shelter in Buffalo may be a victim of budget cuts. One step forward, two steps back.
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Summary: A Must Read!
Review: Enter one very unlikely hero who is trying to call national attention to the scourge. Randy Grim was young, hip, but crippled by panic attacks and phobias (of public places, parties, elevators, driving). After rescuing his first street dog, Bonnie, he couldn't look away. "How can I?" he asks. "Each one says, 'Don't leave me here.'" And so the man who must pop Xanax to walk through an airport refuses to leave a starving, terror-stricken German Shepherd on a dark, icy and stormy East St. Louis street, even when an threatening tenement resident has him on the business end of a gun. Journalist Melinda Roth puts a human, and animal, face on an ignored tragedy playing out in our cities. She gives us beautifully wrought, but too few, scenes of redemption.
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Summary: Randy is a dog's best friend...
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. There are few people I have encountered that are as dedicated to a cause as Randy seems to be. His devotion and tenacity are to be commended. He is doing such a great service to the city of St. Louis. There are a lot of us out there that would've never even realized there was such a stray problem in this country. I am so glad to have read this book and to be more informed on the conditions these dogs have to live in. It has been said over and over about this book, but the prevailing message is that one man can make a difference and seeing that proven in Randy's case is a great motivator for the rest of us. For anyone who loves dogs and/or loves inspiring stories, read this book.
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Summary: If you love animals, this is a must-read
Review: If you go to your local veterinarian and tell him you want to adopt a shelter dog or cat, chances are he or she will give you a big smile. Vets will tell you of the horrible plight of abandoned animals, of the growing number that are euthanized by animal control shelters, and of the heroic efforts of animal rescue leagues, who save animals, rehabilitate them and find loving homes for them. We have two rescue cats--great pets, and really believe strongly in adopting pets from rescue leagues. "The Man Who Talks to Dogs" is the story of Randy Grim who has dedicated his life to rescuing dogs. He drives around the St. Louis area in his van, capturing strays, finding homes for them and educating the public about the problem. There is a lot of interesting information about the problem of stray dogs in the US. This includes statistics about dogs killings of humans, of the number of people bitten. It also is a story about the sadness --of dogs who are sick, dogs who can't be rehabilitated, of euthanizing thousands of animals. This is not always a happy book; so many animals cannot be saved and so many are traumatized beyond curing or rehabilitation. But the story is heroic. If you love animals and are considering adopting a dog, this is a good book to have. And if you are adopting a dog and considering not neutering it, it's a must-read.
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Summary: A Good Read for Dog Lovers
Review: If you've seen stray dogs in your city and wondered how they live, how they became homeless, and what finally happens to them, this book will tell you. This is the story of dogs on the street and one man who has dedicated his life to saving them. Randy Grim works every day with homeless dogs in the St. Louis metro area. These are dogs that were once pets, now abandoned by their owners. Or, they were born on the streets and have never known a safe and loving home. By the time Randy finds them in abandoned city warehouses and on busy streets, they have little faith in humans. It is his seemingly impossible job to convince them to trust again. He acclimates them to human behavior so that they can be adopted by responsible families. Randy's non-profit organization, Stray Rescue of St. Louis, is dedicated to saving the lives of dogs on the street. This is a story of heartbreak and hope. It is the story of dogs who were brutalized and who come to trust again. When we see how Randy's patient work can turn around even the most distrustful dog, we can celebrate that special bond that exists between man and animal. It will make many animal lovers sad because it details struggles of dogs on the street. But it will also serve as inspiration to show the rest of us what can be done!
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Summary: Wake up call for dog lovers!
Review: Most dog lovers understand that the plight of stray dogs is miserable. Unfortunately, they feel the problem is unsolvable, so they simply push it to the back of their minds. This book tells the inspirational story of one man who took it upon himself to help unwanted dogs. Many of the stories in the book are heartbreaking and hopefully they will serve as a wake-up call for dog lovers everywhere. Personally, I resolved to do fundraising for my local shelter after reading THE MAN WHO TALKS TO DOGS. If every dog lover who reads the book decides to do something-anything! to help the cause of abused and abandoned animals then we can make a big improvement in the lives of man's best friend.
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Summary: Wake up call for dog lovers!
Review: Most dog lovers understand that the plight of stray dogs is miserable. Unfortunately, they feel the problem is unsolvable, so they simply push it to the back of their minds. This book tells the inspirational story of one man who took it upon himself to help unwanted dogs. Many of the stories in the book are heartbreaking and hopefully they will serve as a wake-up call for dog lovers everywhere. Personally, I resolved to do fundraising for my local shelter after reading THE MAN WHO TALKS TO DOGS. If every dog lover who reads the book decides to do something-anything! to help the cause of abused and abandoned animals then we can make a big improvement in the lives of man's best friend.
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Summary: Thank God for Mr. Grim!
Review: Mr. Grim is a living saint in the mold of Brother Francis. If you believe that a dog dumped by someone who doesn't want him anymore will end up wild and free like a wolf . . . if you think neutering your dog will somehow affect your own manhood . . . if you think your dog should have "just one litter" because "the kids should see the miracle of birth" . . . read this book and then try to sleep at night. Dogs are not wolves in Snoopy costumes, able to return to the wild at a moment's notice. Dumped dogs die slow and terrible deaths, and dogs born on the street live short and wretched lives. They need us. They can't survive without us. Our ancestors made them that way, and passed on to us the responsibility for their life and death. Randy Grim knows this in his guts. Read this book, and when you stop shivering, call your local animal shelter and ask them what they need most. And if you see a dog wandering alone, look into its eyes. You'll know what I mean when you're done with The Man who Talks to Dogs.
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