The dogs and I set out on our usual stroll this morning, up Third Avenue North for about 16 blocks, then over to Fourth Avenue North and back down. Along the way we passed the houses of several fellow dog lovers I now consider friends, thanks to my first Tupperware party for Saving Gracie.

 

“Tupperware parties” are the newest trend in book-selling. Held in private homes, they’re more personal than a public book-signing. You’re able to  chat more intimately with readers about your book and the subject at hand — in this case, puppy mill survivors.

 

My good friend and former Great Falls Tribune editor Linda Caricaburu hosted the party. She invited women from her book club (who will meet in May to discuss the book) and also some neighbors who happen to have dogs. Linda herself doesn’t have any pets; as she explained to her daughter Gracie a couple of years ago, Linda is allergic to dogs; it simply isn’t possible to have one in the house. (Gracie, four at the time, informed her mother ”Then you will have to go.”)

 

The gathering was a resounding success: I sold three dozen books and, more importantly, had a few moments to talk about the puppy mill problem. It was also nice to visit with good company over champagne and dessert. This particular group seemed more aware than some about the dangers of buying dogs from pet stores and over the Internet. One, a veterinarian friend, said she’d treated three dogs recently who’d been purchased on-line from Missouri and Oklahoma, the two biggest puppy mill states in the country. Not surprisingly, all three dogs have medical issues. But how do you break the news to clients after the fact that they’ve made a mistake?

 

Why anyone would fall for a mail-order a dog is beyond me, but I’ve been steeped in this issue for four years now and it’s easy to forget how many unknowing customers get sucked into Dog-for-Sale websites that are so rife with false assurances.

I’m now sold on Tupperware parties for books. If you live in the greater Great Falls area and would like to host one, please contact me at carol@carolbradley.com

 

Next up is an interview with broadcaster Kerry Callahan Bronson, which airs at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 29, on Voices and Views, the public affairs show on KGPR, 89.9 FM. Unfortunately, the show is not available outside northcentral Montana.