Synopses & Reviews
Lori Fusaro is crazy about dogs. Shes lived with them for as long as she can remember, and she photographs them for a living. But until about a year ago, the idea of adopting an older dog made her squirm with uneasiness.
I thought it would just be too sad and painful,” said Fusaro, 44, of Los Angeles. I didnt think my heart could take it, so I wasnt willing to open myself up.”
Fast-forward to the present: Fusaro is lavishing affection on the most recent addition to her family, a sweet-natured 17-year-old dog named Sunny. Sunny rewired Fusaros view of older dogs so completely that she decided to launch a photography project to show how much senior shelter pets have to offer.
She never guessed that her efforts would spark a media frenzy and draw the attention of hundreds of thousands of supportive readers throughout North America and in places as far away as Malaysia, Germany, Brazil and the Philippines but thats exactly what happened.
It all began when journalist Laura T. Coffey, a longtime writer and editor for the TODAY Shows website (www.today.com), wrote a feature story about Fusaros project with the headline No dog should die alone: Photographer promotes senior pet adoption” (http://www.today.com/pets/no-dog-should-die-alone-photographer-promotes-senior-pet-adoption-6C10658384). The story resonated with people and got more than 465,000 page views because it was positive and celebratory. It shared happy success stories about how blissful retirement can be for older dogs who get rescued, and how life-changing senior dog adoption can be for the humans who do the rescuing.
Coffeys story revealed that older animals often represent the highest-risk population in shelters, even though they tend to be the calmest, easiest pets and theyre already house-trained. Through her reporting, Coffey also learned that the term senior” can be misleading; a fun-loving golden retriever can be categorized as a senior at age 6, even though he or she might have seven to nine more years of adventures ahead.
Since Coffeys TODAY.com story ran on July 17, 2013, major media organizations have continued to cover Fusaros efforts. NBC Nightly News profiled Fusaro, as did The Associated Press. The AP story led to television, radio, and magazine interviews as well as art projects, school projects, and even a museum exhibit of Fusaros photographs.
All of the unabated and passionate interest in the subject of senior dogs made Fusaro and Coffey realize that they had tapped into something that is ripe for exploration in a non-fiction book. They decided to join forces to create My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” a celebration of all the grand times that can be had with pooches past the age of puppyhood.
My Old Dog will showcase Fusaros beautiful photographs, but it will be much more than a photography book. The photos will be paired with Coffeys carefully reported and thoughtfully crafted stories about all sorts of people whose lives were forever changed when they invited older dogs to join their families.
Of special interest will be stories about retired working dogs such as military dogs, law-enforcement dogs, racing dogs, and others who can find themselves languishing in kennels overseas or left in overcrowded, high-kill shelters after they age out of their vocations.
The book also will include stories of celebrities who went to great lengths to rescue older dogs, including George Clooney, Jeannie and Bruce Nordstrom, and Brandon Stanton (creator of Humans of New York), and it will conclude with a comprehensive resource guide to help readers take action and adopt senior pets themselves.
All I really care about is changing the perception of older dogs,” Fusaro explains. They might be slower and they might sleep a little more, but all the old dogs Ive met in this past year like to play with their toys and chew on their bones. They still have that zest, that joy for living. ...
When I look back at my unwillingness to adopt an older dog, it was more about my own selfishness about not wanting to feel that pain, not wanting to make hard decisions. But every dog is important. Every dog deserves a home. I finally just boiled it down to love. Thats the most important thing.”
Synopsis
National Bestseller "No Dog Should Die Alone was the attention-grabbing -- and heart-stirring -- headline of journalist Laura T. Coffey's TODAY show website story about photographer Lori Fusaro's work with senior shelter pets. While generally calm, easy, and already house-trained, these animals often represent the highest-risk population at shelters. With gorgeous, joyful photographs and sweet, funny, true tales of "old dogs learning new tricks," Coffey and Fusaro show that adopting a senior can be even more rewarding than choosing a younger dog. You'll meet endearing elders like Marnie, the irresistible shih tzu who has posed for selfies with Tina Fey, James Franco, and Betty White; Remy, a soulful nine-year-old dog adopted by elderly nuns; George Clooney's cocker spaniel, Einstein; Susie, the funny little senior dog who got adopted by Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton and Susie's Senior Dogs founder Erin Stanton; and Bretagne, the last known surviving search dog from Ground Zero. They may be slower moving and a tad less exuberant than puppies, but these pooches prove that adopting a senior brings immeasurable joy, earnest devotion, and unconditional love.
Synopsis
No Dog Should Die Alone” was the attention-grabbing and heart-stirring headline of journalist Laura T. Coffeys TODAY show website story about photographer Lori Fusaros work with senior shelter pets. While generally calm, easy, and already house-trained, these animals often represent the highest-risk population at shelters because adopters fear their illness and death. Coffey and Fusaro answer this fear with gorgeous, joyful photographs and sweet, funny, true tales of old dogs learning new tricks.” While perhaps slower moving and a tad sleepier than puppies, these elders pose for selfies with Tina Fey, James Franco, and Betty White; are adopted by people ranging from elderly nuns to George Clooney; and exhibit amazing heroism and heart at Ground Zero, in war zones, and in law enforcement. They give the lie to writer F. Scott Fitzgeralds notion that there are no second acts in American lives.”
About the Author
Laura T. Coffey is a self-avowed dog nut and a writer, editor, and producer for TODAY.com, the website of NBCs TODAY Show. Before she joined TODAY.com, Coffey worked in various reporter, columnist, and editor positions for msnbc.com (now NBCNews.com),
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
The San Diego Union-Tribune,
The Prague Post and
The St. Petersburg Times. After writing thousands of stories on scores of subjects, Coffey cant help but notice that many of her greatest hits” have been stories about dogs.
Photographer Lori Fusaro donates her time each weekend photographing dogs and cats to increase their chances of getting adopted. The rest of the week, Fusaro works as the staff photographer at Best Friends Animal Society - Los Angeles and runs her own business, Fusaro Photography, whose clients include DreamWorks Studios, Paramount Pictures, and many animal-rescue organizations. Fusaro lives in Culver City near downtown Los Angeles with her husband, Darrell, and their dogs and cats.