Synopses & Reviews
Winner of Foreword Magazine's 2006 Bronze Award for Pet Book of the Year! "Generosity and gratitude power this compelling account of the reciprocal nature of rescue. Ken Foster illuminates a profound lesson about saving a life: Doing it makes you able to do it."
--Amy Hempel, author of The Dog of the Marriage and Reasons to Live
"I read this at once, and could hardly bear to put it down. It delivers something crucial about bravery, the human spirit, and the place that dogs occupy in our landscapes. Its about confronting need, vulnerability, and love, and responding."
--Roxana Robinson, author of A Perfect Stranger and Georgia OKeeffe
"Ken Foster writes about the human/canine bond with wisdom, insight, and great heart. This is a fascinating and useful book, full of great stories and practical knowledge. Kens dogs are lucky to have found him, and so are his readers."
--Sean Wilsey, author of Oh the Glory of it All
"Fosters dogs are memorable, delightful characters, with vivid, poignant stories. The Dogs Who Found Me is a testament to the joys dogs bring, and to the beauty in the work of saving them."
--Rene Steinke, National Book Award finalist for Holy Skirts
"If you love dogs as much as Ken Foster, you will probably recognize yourself in much of The Dogs Who Found Me. You will remember your heart stopping or being shredded . . . only to be repaired with an even greater capacity to love."
--Terry Bain, author of You Are A Dog
"Pitbulls pitbulls pitbulls, and a man, like me, who loves them. Alternately brutal and sentimental, like the lives of the dogs he rescues. A very, very cool book."
--James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard
Disaster-prone writer and reluctant dog rescuer Ken Foster finds himself adopting an ever-growing collection of stray dogs, from a beagle abandoned in a New York City dog run to a pit bull in a Mississippi truck stop. Their circumstances offer a grounding counterpoint to his own misfortunes: the shock of New York City after 9/11, the evacuation of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and the day his heart nearly stopped for good.
KEN FOSTER is the editor of two anthologies, including Dog Culture. His collection of short stories, The Kind Im Likely to Get, was a New York Times Notable Book. His work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeneys, and The Believer. For more information, visit www.dogswhofoundme.com.
Review
"His warm, candid, and unusual account...is not sentimental about the hard work of saving dogs but rather confident, reflecting his belief that taking action on behalf of abandoned dogs is the right thing to do." Booklist
Review
"Generosity and gratitude power this compelling account of the reciprocal nature of rescue. Ken Foster illuminates a profound lesson about saving a life: Doing it makes you able to do it." Amy Hempel, author of The Dog of the Marriage and Reasons to Live
Review
"I read this at once, and could hardly bear to put it down. This is a wonderful, strange book, beautiful and funny and moving. It delivers something crucial about bravery, the human spirit, and the place that dogs occupy in our landscapes." Roxana Robinson
Review
"Ken Foster writes about the human/canine bond with wisdom, insight, and great heart. This is a fascinating and useful book, full of great stories and practical knowledge every dog lover needs. Ken's dogs are lucky to have found him, and so are his readers." Sean Wilsey, author of Oh The Glory of it All
Review
"Foster's dogs are memorable, delightful characters, with vivid, poignant stories. The Dogs Who Found Me is a testament to the joys dogs bring, and to the beauty in the work of saving them." Rene Steinke, National Book Award finalist for Holy Skirts
Review
"If you love dogs as much as Ken Foster, you will probably recognize yourself in much of The Dogs Who Found Me. You will remember your heart stopping or being shredded... only to be repaired with an even greater capacity to love." Terry Bain, author of You Are A Dog
Review
"Pitbulls pitbulls pitbulls, and a man, like me, who loves them. Alternately brutal and sentimental, like the lives of the dogs he rescues. A very very cool book." James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard
Synopsis
From a border collie at a shopping mall to a pit bull in a Mississippi truck stop, The Dogs Who Found Me recounts the stories of a dozen dogs who chose author Ken Foster to rescue them. Initially reluctant, Foster set a four-hour time limit for placing the first strange dog he brought into his New York City apartment, only to discover that this would be the first of many dogs who would seemingly choose him to lead them, one way or another, to their new home. In addition to the personal stories, The Dogs Who Found Me offers expert advice and answers the essential questions: How should you approach an abandoned dog? How do you integrate a temporary animal guest into your household? What resources are available in your area? Are some dogs beyond rescue? Why do some dogs fear your help? Should we ever give up on a dog?
Synopsis
A favorite author reveals his experiences rescuing abandoned dogs and offers solid advice for readers who "find" dogs.
Synopsis
Disaster-prone writer and reluctant dog rescuer Ken Foster finds himself centered by the presence of an ever-growing collection of stray dogs. In this memoir-cum-guidebook, Foster describes the dogs who found him, from a beagle abandoned in a New York City dog run to a pit bull in a Mississippi truck stop. Their circumstances offer a grounding counterpoint to his own recent misfortunes: the shock of New York City after 9/11, the deaths of two close friends, a near fatal heart condition and the evacuation of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He writes eloquently about the world of animal shelters, the nature of compassion, and the empowering effect of rescuing and being rescued.
About the Author
Ken Foster is the editor of two anthologies, including Dog Culture. His collection of short stories, The Kind I'm Likely to Get, was a New York Times Notable Book. His work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, and the Believer. He has taught at The New School, Florida State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, where he lives with at least three dogs.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Ken Foster