TO THE RESCUE: Found Dogs with a Mission
By Elise Lufkin with photographs by Diana Walker
Skyhorse Press
Publication Date: November 2009
Contact: Megan U. Beatie, 818-678-6288

Animal adoption activist and author Elise Lufkin has always been enthralled by the bond between humans and dogs. During her volunteer work at animal shelters over the years, she’s witnessed many special relationships that blossom when animals are adopted. To celebrate these happy endings, she teamed with Time magazine photographer Diana Walker on two heartwarming collections of stories of abandoned animals and the people who rescued them: Found Dogs: Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet (1997) and Second Chances (2003).

Now, Lufkin and Walker reunite with a third book: TO THE RESCUE: Found Dogs with a Mission (Skyhorse Press: October 2009; Hardcover), with Foreword by Bonnie Hunt. In these stories, people give much more than just a good home to their dogs – they teach them how to bring comfort, assistance and happiness to others in need. Here are pets that become certified therapy animals, visiting hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and other places where days can seem long and dreary and distraction is welcome. They are also trained to be service dogs, guiding the blind or deaf, or search-and-rescue dogs, avalanche dogs, and dogs that detect narcotics, bombs or even bedbugs in hotels and apartments. And in a world where cruelty and neglect impact the lives of children, adults, and animals alike, it’s truly inspiring to read about people who have not only saved the lives of abandoned animals, but are sharing these dogs’ remarkable healing powers.