Where Dogs Go to Live! Inspiring Stories of Hospice Dogs Living in the Moment
By: Jeff Allen, Michele Allen / Foreword By: Larissa Wohl / Narrated By: Barry Abrams
Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
If you’ve EVER loved an animal…!
In our household, our lives are marked by our Families. Our First Family was Val, Hayden, Edgar Allan, Jerzy, Baby, with Hawthorne being our Segue Love. Our Second Family was Hawthorne, Serena, The Miss, with Rodie being our Segue Love. Now? We’re experiencing our Third Family with Rodie (aka Thoreau), Blanche and Bitty.
Yessss, we’ve been blessed to do Elder Care and Hospice with each of our Fuzzy Accomplices.
What starts off as heartbreaking, after all, ya know you’re going to have to be doing The Dance the minute you sign on to be a pet conservator, usually winds up being the greatest honor a person can have. To the point where I’d caught m’self musing whether my upcoming End of Life Doula work mightn’t just be as a Hospice Haven for Fuzzies of all types.
Then Rodie yakked a couple o’ times, and I started spazzing: Is this It (He’s 15-years old by now…)? The Final Illness? Have I failed my beloved boy? Am I dancing, and I don’t even know it?!
Soooo, when Where Dogs Go to Live came out, I was THERE: The Story I’d MUCH love to Listen to.
And it’s wonderful!!!
…Just NOT to Listen to…
Barry Abrams, who does soooo much of my Death/Grief audiobooks (Indeed, Caring for the Dying by Henry Fersko-Weiss LCSW absoLUTEly inspired me to start studying End of Life Doula work! Somehow, I managed to get through THAT narration by Abrams withOUT slashing m’ danged wrists or clawing m’ ears off), just gives The Most Tortuous near 6-Hours Performance of beyond beautiful stories here.
Word of Advice? Speeeeed your Listening Speed up, like, a LOT!!! If ya don’t? You’ll be jollied up sooo much that your eyes will roll back into your head, making you fear it’s permanent. Authors Jeff and Michele Adams have humor here as there are plenty of funny anecdotes, plus they just HAVE to laugh at certain fiascos. After all, if you’re having ANY sort of experience with a dog (Or any much-loved companion), it means that hey: They’re still alive to get ya into those situations. And ain’t that a Blessing?!
There’s that. But there’s also Abrams drawing out the sad parts in loooong mooooournful tones, or being Uber-chipper where a Listener might prefer simplicity, letting the stories of love and miracles speak for themselves. Yeesh!!!
I was sooo moved by the experiences here, as Jeff and Michele are so very open with their hearts. They will go to the nth degree to make sure that the dogs in their care receive the best nutrition, the most up-to-date medical treatments (And jeez, Michele was a nurse so she KNOWS her stuff, reading the workup records the dogs come with so easily). Some pups stabilize in their care, and some even go on to become known as their Impostor Dogs. Those are the sweeties who rebound with such care and love that they’re adopted out into Forever Homes.
There are Forever Fosters, there are Quarantine Fosters so that the dogs Jeff and Michele (Along with various volunteers) are kept well and safe to the best of their abilities. What started as a wish and drive to do good in the name of a much-loved dog named Monkey has turned into “Monkey’s House”, and there are absolutely gorgeous stories here. Trips to the beach, where those who can’t walk are pulled in strollers. Group photos with Santa. And tho’ they’re all given home-prepared raw or lightly cooked food, there ARE treats and doggie baked goods on offer.
With simply dear stories of various dogs that have left indelible paw prints on their hearts, this is a truly lovely book. Dogs who’ve led lives of neglect and abuse are accommodated until they slowly learn to trust, to lean into the love given them. Dogs who have been given up because their owners have passed receive such tender care. Tales of favorites, of how certain volunteers just seem to bond with particular dogs, of how those dogs get extra special love abound here.
Jeez, I need a Thesaurus to say: LOVELY in sooo many different ways here, so I’m grasping. Lemme just say that if you’ve ever loved a fuzzy buddy, and esPECially if you’ve the experience of extra days, months, years of Still-Alive grace?
This book will feel like a true blessing to you.
Enter Monkey’s House, and think of your own Life, your own Loves.
We have the time NOW, let’s live it up, and let’s love it up.
And let’s avoid Barry Abrams like the plaaaague…
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