"All Dogs Go To Kevin": Review And Giveaway!

We couldn't be more excited to have this opportunity to tell you a little about a wonderful book: All Dogs Go To Kevin,  Everything Three Dogs Taught Me (That I Didn't Learn In Veterinary School), by Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, and to give away a copy to one lucky reader. Please know that we have received one hardback copy of this book and one to give away to our winner. We have not been otherwise compensated for writing this post, and rest assured our opinions about All Dogs Go To Kevin have not been swayed by two free copies!

                  See how to enter at the end of this post! 

Parental Unit was lucky enough to chat with the author, Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, on a shuttle from the airport to a BlogPaws Conference a few years ago. She remembers that "Dr. V", (a nickname that her clients who couldn't pronounce "Vogelsang", gave her) was friendly, super smart and funny, qualities that shine through in this charming and witty memoir. O.K. Parental Unit thinks this book is more than "witty"—it's fits into her "wildly funny" category—Dr. V.'s self-depreciating humor coupled with hilarious descriptions of, well, just about everything, make all of her stories a joy to read. How many women do you know compare their dog (who had just emerged from eating a box of powdered sugar) to "Al Pacino after a coke binge in Scarface"? I thought so.

                Here's a picture of Dr. V. and canine friend.

 Dr. V., her husband, their two young children and a series of goofy, lovable dogs let us into their world and demonstrate the importance of family and friends—including the canine variety—in enriching our lives. But you'll also learn about what it takes to get through veterinary school and to practice veterinary medicine in a clinic setting, including the array of clients, both lovable and...well, not so lovable, whose pets she tends with great care.

Dr. V. is also a superb writer, by the way, who's easy-going style draws you right into the action. When she learned that her dog, Emmett, had lymphoma, she stated simply: "We teach our dogs to "stay", but they never do."

Parental Unit particularly loves Dr. V.'s poignant epilogue, where she vows to honor her dogs, past and present by "...striving just a little more to live like they did: with joy, unabashed and open, reminding myself and others that our flaws do not make us less, but ever more worthy of being loved just the way we are." We can learn so much from our pets, and All Dogs Go To Kevin helps show us the joy they bring to our lives, and how we can make sure we give them joy in return.

Dr Vogelsang's current veterinary practice provides in-home hospice care for dogs and cats. She's also  founder of the website Pawcurious.com, and we can't recommend it highly enough. We're thrilled to bring you the opportunity to win a copy of All Dogs Go To Kevin, by entering the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

Potential winner limited to the continental United States. Void where prohibited. 

                                 Good Luck!

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Join Us For "Travels with Casey": Review And Giveaway!

Enter to win a hardback copy of Travels with Casey—details at the end of this post!

Imagine a 13,000 mile road trip, crisscrossing the country in a rented RV, with your slightly moody dog your only companion  That's exactly what acclaimed New York Times writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis undertook with his Labrador mix, Casey, in 2012, and luckily for us, documented in his intelligent and witty book, Travels with Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country. But there was no monotony on this trip. Denizet-Lewis planned meet-ups with a cast of dog-obsessed characters along the way: in-demand dog photographer, Amanda Jones, dedicated dog rescuers, dog psychics, and even the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan, who gives Casey and his slightly beleaguered owner a few tips on establishing which one, dog or human, is the pack leader.

You'll get a flavor for the book,. and just what the author and his dog aimed to explore on their journey by watching the trailer below. Denizen-Lewis "...wants to tell the story of America's dogs and their dog-crazy humans," and does just that by painting a rich, first-hand portrait of our dog-obsessed culture.

Denizet-Lewis is noted for his in-depth research and "tell it like it is" style, most notably in his two previous books, and New York Times Magazine cover story on the plight of Bulldogs, widely regarded as the definitive analysis of dog breeding gone bad. We loved that Times Magazine article and shared it with you shortly after it was published in 2011. Although Travels with Casey is downright charming and often hilarious, it doesn't shy away from discussing the darker side of the human-dog relationship, including the puppy mill-pet store connection and the heartbreaking number of strays on some Indian reservations, among others.

But there's always an upside to any relationship, and for every high kill shelter or dog fighting ring, Denizet-Lewis highlights a corresponding saving grace, like his trip to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country, Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah.

One of the best things about this book is how skillfully the author weaves anecdotes from his daily travels with important, expert-backed information about the history and current issues facing dogs and dog lovers across the country. And in turn, this analysis helps us better understand America's complicated relationship with our four-legged companions, and better understand our country's values through the way we treat our dogs. Mission accomplished.

Now on to our giveaway of one hardback copy of Travels with Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country. Enter via Rafflecopter below to win a copy of this fantastic book!

Potential winner limited to the continental United States. Void where prohibited. 
Note: We received a courtesy copy of Travels with Casey for our review, and one to give away to our winner. We received no other compensation and the opinions contained in this post are our own.

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