Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.
by Patrick McDonnell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Patrick McDonnellEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-01
ISBN: 0740771159
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Book Reviews of Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.
Book Review: "Folks Will Know How Large Your Soul Is By The Way You Treat A Dog." -Charles F. Duran
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed." is a wonderful book by cartoonist and animal advocate Patrick McDonnell. For years I have adopted shelter cats, often seeking older and less adoptable animals because I find them the most loving and rewarding to live with. This book combines McDonnell's insight into the animal psyche in poignant cartoons with stories of adopted animals and the joy they brought to the homes they eventually found, often after very arduous journeys to their final forever home.
Any animal lover cannot help be touched by this book, and the "Shelter Stories" cartoons are some of the finest comic strips ever published. The entire book is mesmerizing and thought-provoking, but perhaps my favorite passages are found on pages 98-99 and 153. Page 99 shows a small gray cat missing an eye. The opposite page simply says "Little Hollers had been to adoption day three times without anyone paying attention to her. I felt she deserved a good home with tons of love. We love her more than anything and are so glad we found her...she is truly beautiful to us." And she is, too. I have never had a cat missing an eye, but have had other animals with disabilities, and the gratefulness and love from these special animals is palpable, making the experience irreplaceable.
Page 153 shows an old battered cat in stately repose, looking very content. He is, however, ill as the quote below him reads "Allen came to the shelter as a stray just days before Christmas. I adopted him to ensure his last days were spent in peace and comfort. I was blessed by his affection during those few days." That story was very special to me having been through a nearly identical situation with a cat a few years ago. Charlie (named for Charlie in the Box from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on the Island of Misfit Toys) was a clearly old and sick stray with some broken teeth who was found in Kentucky in a cold rainstorm just before Christmas. The vet didn't give him long to live, but removed the broken teeth, cleaned him up, treated him for parasites and generally got him as well as he could be without putting him through extraordinary procedures. His health deteriorated over the next few weeks and he finally signaled it was his time. He was so loving and grateful to finally have a warm, safe home and loving human companionship that the cost and difficulties the short adoption brought were trifling in comparison to the genuine love and devotion he gave in his last weeks. The vet said that he was probably close to 20 years old at the time, and was a fighter and a survivor. That struck me as amazing as he was so loving and relaxed I still can't imagine how he lived all those years before; I wish I had met him earlier, but I am genuinely grateful for the time we had together. The thing I took away most from this experience is that Charlie had a lonely, brutal, and miserable life, yet in his final two months he finally found happiness and was eternally grateful for someone finally loving him after all the hardships he endured waiting for a person of his own. Obviously, I personally identified with Allen's story in this book because of my time with Charlie, but all the animals in this book are special, and I hope that reading this book awakens as many people as possible to the joy and love an animal in need can bring to their homes, even a sick or old animal, sometimes them most of all.
This is a great book, and I recommend it to everyone. If you want to see real joy, read the book, then go to a shelter and pick out the perfect animal for you! You'll both be winners.
Summary of Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.
Until one has loved an animal, one's soul remains unawakened." --Anatole FranceThis book is a credit to [Patrick McDonnell's] life's work and passion, and I know you will enjoy it and be moved by it." --Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States
Patrick McDonnell's MUTTS is up there with Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes--cartoons that are smart and funny, brilliantly drawn, and full of heart." --Matt Groening, The Simpsons creator
To me, MUTTS is exactly what a comic strip should be" --Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator
MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell pairs his heartwarming "Shelter Stories" strips with real-life, fan-submitted testimonials and photographs to provide an emotionally gratifying look into the lives of the millions of rescue animals adopted into loving homes each year. In this emotive collection, McDonnell spotlights stories of animal rescue submitted by fans across the nation.
More than 70 full-color photographs of adopted pets-including cute and cuddly dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, and ferrets-are featured alongside more than 100 of McDonnell's popular MUTTS "Shelter Stories" strips. Also included is an authoritative reference section with an Adoption Guide and resourceful links that encourage readers to, as McDonnell writes, "Adopt some love today."
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