Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for Truth
By: Kim Kavin / Narrated By: Therese Plummer, Jonathan Davis
Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
Hard-hitting and pulls no punches, but is ultimately heartfelt and hopeful
It’s like this: I’m the person people talk to when they wanna describe horrible things they’ve seen done to animals. I’m the person who picks up animals dead on the side of the road, calls their owners to return them or buries them in the backyard if they’re unowned. I’m the person who, in New Orleans after Katrina, took charge of the kittens that were dying in the shelter and placed the newly deceased in the freezer. What I’m saying is: I’ve seen a lot, and when others are too tender-hearted, I step in and do what needs to be done. And my guiding sentence has come to be: If I spare myself an animal’s suffering, I only prolong theirs.
Why am I sharing this?
It’s cuz I went into Little Boy Blue glibly feeling like I knew all the bad stuff out there. Gas chambers at kill-shelters? I know. Hoarders who think they’re doing the kind thing when actually they’re causing unimaginable suffering? Oh, gosh, I know that too. But I was pretty unprepared for how horribly things could go wrong along an animal’s journey during a rescue.
Journalist Kim Kavin hits Petfinder.com when she can’t bear her sorrow any longer, this after having to have her soul’s companion put to sleep. She still has one dog, yes, but that dog is looking mighty miserable without her canine buddy, and Kavin, who grew up with dogs basically as siblings, is feeling empty and no, she’s not looking for a replacement, but yes, she’d like to find a warm and furry distraction from her grief. She finds a little mix-breed dog, forks out almost $400 for this shelter rescue, and waits in a parking lot for the bundle of love. After his hours-long journey, the little dog is somewhat confused but is also ready to show affection right from the start. But the story Kavin gets has her wondering about his journey with this particular rescue group. Cuz she’d thought they were 1/2 hour from her home, and actually they’re bringing in their animals from Southern shelters. She begins to dig more deeply and she begins at the beginning.
I s’pose I was ready for the What in this story, such as kill-shelters, gas chambers, hoarders, but I wasn’t quite as prepared for the Who. Because it’s an awfully decent man who’s running the gas chamber in that North Carolina shelter, and it’s a mighty friendly woman who takes so many from the shelter and fosters them (Read: Hoarder who keeps many stuck in carriers too small for them and who treats ailments by applying bleach straight to dogs’ skin). As for the Why in this story? Oh trust me, I know about the Why but as written with such compassion, it was heartbreaking to hear it considering: That hoarder treats with bleach because if it comes down to money to buy dog food or spend it on expensive medical treatments, it’s just basic math. Kavin, who begins each eye-opening moment harshly judging, learns and educates herself with the basic realities.
This is awesome in the case where she discovers her pup’s neutering was “done in the back of a van” and she’s horrified. But when she meets the doctor who actually does the spaying/neutering (And it’s not really a van per se), she’s relieved to see how resourceful and compassionate some people can be.
Further adding to the strength of Little Boy Blue is that Kavin doesn't dodge any of the arguments out there. A WONderful animal shelter that boasts high adoption rates is terrific, yes, but they’re actually turning down less-adoptable animals, they have that luxury. Kill-shelters don’t have that option. Kavin decries the amount of tax dollars spent on kill-shelters, but she’s clear-eyed when she acknowledges that they’re tasked with having to juggle it all: Taking all of them in, caring for them, killing them, educating the public about spaying and neutering and animal care basics, adopting as many out as possible, etc. etc.
Therese Plummer narrates this most capably, adding warmth when Kavin’s protective streak comes to the fore, adding lighter and brighter tones when there’s actually some hope to be found. Kavin is actually a pretty funny woman too, and during the process of tracking down Blue’s movements, she goes through a betrayal and divorce, and Plummer manages to make it so warm and memorable cuz animal lovers know it: Humans will betray you, but there’s nothing like an animal for the cuddle you get on the day your divorce becomes final. Plus, Blue’s obedience training final exam turns into an uproarious hoot.
Be prepared for the ugly side of the rescue/shelter industry, yes. But also get ready to fall in love with Blue and to hear many anecdotes of his life. This is ultimately a hopeful book, with tips on how each of us can make a difference and make smart choices when we choose a Fuzzy Accomplice to share our lives with, or when we come across the unfair and unkind.
Awesome Listen if you’re prepared to get and be real about a horrible societal problem. And trust me:
If you spare yourself the suffering, you truly, truly prolong theirs…
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