2010 July » Carol Bradley

Humane Society says yes to ‘Saving Gracie’

July18

Thanks to Beau Archer for this wonderful review, which was published on the website for the Humane Society of the United States: www.hsus.org

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July 13, 2010

Book is ‘heartfelt account of a dog’s journey through rescue and rehabilitation’

Saving Gracie cover

A recently published book by Carol Bradley, Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills, (Wiley, 2010), is a captivating assessment of the problems with U.S. puppy mills and a heartfelt account of one dog’s journey through rescue and rehabilitation.

Bradley’s book centers on the 2006 Mike-Mar Kennel puppy mill case in Pennsylvania which exposed the underbelly of atrocious puppy mill operations and how puppy mill owners deceive the public. Saving Gracie also offers a compelling narrative of the cases that helped pave the way to Pennsylvania’s Dog Law reform two years later.

An insider’s view

Bradley presents a true insider’s view of what goes on behind the scenes of a puppy mill case as it mounts and unfolds, the challenges of funding the care of dogs when they must be held as evidence through a trial, and the physical and psychological problems that puppy mill survivors endure, very often for the rest of their lives.

Bradley leads readers through the trials and tribulations of Linda Jackson’s rehabilitation of “Gracie,” a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who Linda adopted after the Mike-Mar Kennel case concluded and the dogs were finally released after months of living in various animal shelters.

Sharing her story

Gracie, among other health problems, had eye problems, ear infections, and was so shy that she averted her eyes whenever anyone would look at her. Linda and her family struggled to meet Gracie’s needs. In the end they came to accept that she lead a traumatizing life and would never be like a dog who did not share her history.

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Bringing Gracie into their family gave the Jacksons firsthand experience of just how cruel puppy mills are to breeding dogs and also propelled them to caution others about puppy mills and encourage people to buy from reputable breeders or, better yet, adopt their next pet.

Spotlight on advocacy

Delivering to readers the passion and dedication of local humane investigators, Saving Gracie also chronicles the advocacy work of many individuals and national animal welfare groups, that will affect the future of puppy mills and legislation designed to help dogs in these mass breeding operations.

Saving Gracie is a good introduction to the puppy mill problem and the mounting successes taking place across the country as more and more people are educated about them. It analyzes how puppy mill cases are handled, reveals the inherent deceit and cruelty of such facilities, and depicts a slice of the lives of puppy mill survivors and the families that take them in and love them. This book gives hope about the future of dogs in puppy mills and demonstrates that when passionate advocates, citizens, legislators, and other leaders work together significant achievements can be accomplished.

Beau Archer is outreach coordinator for The HSUS’s Puppy Mills campaign.

posted under Animal Welfare News, Puppy Mills, Saving Gracie | No Comments »

Hot dogs, ignorant owners

July16

I called the cops last night to report a woman who’d left her dog inside a hot car. It was 6 p.m., 82 degrees and the windows of the car were cracked, so it could have been worse. Even so, having just stepped out of my own vehicle, I knew how hot the inside of her car must be.

The dog, a brown poodle, was sitting on the back dash — the hottest possible place — and barking his head off.

I noticed the dog as I was headed to Cartridge World in Great Falls to drop off some empty cartridges. The proprietor of the store gave me a yellow Post-it note so I could scribble a message to the dog’s owner. “It is waaaay too hot to leave a dog in this car!” I wrote. I pasted the note to the driver’s door as I passed back by. And then I noticed the line of customers inside the pizza place a couple of doors down. I walked down to the store, stuck my head inside the door and asked, loudly, “Does anyone here own the car with the dog?”

This is nothing new for me. Two or three times a summer I take on the role of public scold when I see a dog in a hot car. Only once have I encountered an appreciative, apologetic owner.

This time, a woman four back in line spoke up. Yes, she confirmed, that was her dog. “It’s too hot to leave your dog out,” I told her. “I know,” she said slowly and emphatically, widening her eyes to let me know she really did understand it could be a problem. Yet she made no move to step out of line to rescue her pooch.

I waited a couple of seconds and then said ”All it takes if a few minutes to overheat a dog,” which seemed to be pointing out the obvious. Again she replied: “I knowwww!”

The other customers were watching. The woman clearly planned to stand in line another 10 minutes or so. I glowered at her for a second or two, then threw my arms up in the air and walked out. And, on the way out of the parking lot, I called the city police. After a protracted conversation with them about the dangers of keeping dogs in hot cars, the dispatcher promised to call Animal Control.

I have no idea if she did so. When I drove back by the parking lot a half hour later, the car was gone.

What’s the moral of this story? Only that I intend to keep blowing the whistle on reckless dog owners. Even when they tell me they ”know.”

posted under Blogging, Carol and her canines, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The book-promotion circuit

July6

I’m back after a relaxing — if chilly – holiday weekend, part of it spent promoting Saving Gracie. In fact, my overnight trip to Missoula was one of those serendipitous instances where, publicity-wise, the moon and stars aligned.

Missoula is 165 miles southwest of Great Falls and always fun to visit. My husband, Steve, accompanied me on the spectacular drive there Friday afternoon. First stop: the studios of the local NPR station, KUFM, where I taped a 30-minute interview with Cherie Newman, host of “The Write Question.” Cherie told me she usually prepares a half-page or so of questions to ask authors. After reading Gracie, she jotted down two full pages of questions and comments. The interview will air sometime in late July or early August. I enjoyed meeting Cherie and before leaving I even got to tape a station announcement. Check out Cherie’s blog at http://www.thewritequestion.blogspot.com

Then it was off to Fact & Fiction bookstore for a book-signing and discussion about puppy mills. Missoula is a real writer’s town, and store founder and manager Barbara Theroux does everything she can to publicize local books. The Missoulian newspaper had graciously mentioned the book-signing on the cover of their lifestyles section, and shortly after 5 p.m. we had enough customers to warrant a discussion. At 7 p.m. we held a second talk to accommodate a later gathering. Barbara had me sign the remaining copies and the next morning, when I popped back into the store, she still had them front and center next to a poster featuring a cover of the book. That’s what I love about independent bookstores!

One of the people who dropped by Fact & Fiction was Lindsay Abernethy, a law student at the University of Montana who has started an Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter there. She invited me come talk to her colleagues this fall, which I’m happy to do.

Whenever we can squeeze in a reservation, Steve and I stay at Blossom’s, a Craftsman-style Bed and Breakfast on the east end of town. The following morning we indulged in a spread of homemade granola and yogurt, a potato/egg/cheese frittata and homemade sugar doughnuts with couples from Minneapolis, San Diego and Bristol, Rhode Island. As breakfast was ending, the gal from San Diego happened to notice some of the postcards for my book on Blossom’s desk and asked about them, unaware that I was the author. All three couples wound up buying a book!

Word of mouth is so important for book sales and the Missoula trip couldn’t have been more successful. Next stop: the Country Bookshelf in Bozeman at 7 p.m. July 20.

posted under Blogging, Saving Gracie, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »