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Dogs and Underdogs: Finding Happiness at Both Ends
of the Leash by Elizabeth Abbott, PhD
of the Leash by Elizabeth Abbott, PhD
What can Haiti, the University of Toronto, Ohio prisons, a Canadian hospital and Serbia all have in common? When it comes to Elizabeth Abbott – dogs of course!
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Urban Book Circle® (UBC)
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Dogs and Underdogs:
Finding Happiness at Both Ends of the Leash
Finding Happiness at Both Ends of the Leash
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Elizabeth Abbott had always shared her life with dogs. But when worlds collided and her beloved dog Tommy was left behind in Haiti, she set out on a journey that took her from the soulless concrete corridors of an American prison to the halls of Mount Sinai Hospital and the ruins of post-war Serbia, and taught her essential truths about the power of hope and redemption among people changed forever by a wagging tail and a pair of soulful eyes – and dogs who found a new lease on life with devoted human companions. With wit and passion, Abbott digs down into the deepest roots of the human-animal bond, showing us that together people and dogs can find hope and happiness.
Launching “Dogs and Underdog” at Ben McNally’s Bookstore / Book Launch: April 29, 2015, Ben McNally Books, 366 Bay St, Toronto
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Elizabeth Abbott / CJAD Montreal, interview with Anne Lagace Dowson, June 8, 2015
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Psychology Today
Elizabeth Abbott’s “Dogs and Underdogs: Finding Happiness at Both Ends of the Leash” and Toni Shelbourne’s “Among the Wolves” are excellent reads. Both books are filled with personal stories about these amazing beings and show how we can rescue and help them and they can in turn rescue and help us. Both also raise numerous questions about human-animal relationships.
Two books arrived at my door at the same time and I simply want to share their existence with you because I feel they are great reads for all people interested not only in the behavior of dogs and wolves but also in our relationship with these amazing beings and other nonhuman animals (animals) with whom we share our lives in one way or another. The first is called Dogs and Underdogs: Finding Happiness at Both Ends of the Leash by noted author Elizabeth Abbott and the other is titled Among the Wolves: Memoirs of a Wolf Handler by Toni Shelbourne.
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Both authors clearly love dogs and other animals and when I first read Ms. Abbott’s book to provide an endorsement I kept going back to it to read the stories of different dogs and their humans. The book’s description and numerous accolades are very informative of what readers will find between its covers. It reads as follows: “Happiness and redemption can be found at both ends of the leash, in all kinds of places. Elizabeth Abbott had always been an animal lover, sharing her life with all kinds of dogs in need. But when worlds collided and her beloved dog Tommy was left behind in Haiti, a new journey began – one that would take her to some very surprising places and ultimately teach her some essential truths about the power of hope and redemption. From the soulless concrete corridors of an American prison to the halls of a Canadian hospital to life among the ruins in post-war Serbia, Abbott meets people whose lives are changed forever by a wagging tail and a pair of soulful eyes –and dogs who find a new lease on life with devoted human companions. Throughout Dogs and Underdogs, Abbott shares her own incredible and often amusing stories of rescuing dogs in need of shelter, friendship, and love: devoted Tommy, the inspiration who began it all; irrepressible Bonzi, the beagle who charmed his way into prisoners’ hearts; sweet Alice, the little mama who survived a puppy mill to be ‘mothered’ by other dogs; and many more. With wit and passion, Abbott digs down into the deepest roots of the human–animal bond, showing us that together people and dogs can find hope and happiness.”
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I keep going back to this book and always am finding something new about which to think and feel. Having taught a course in animal behavior and conservation biology at the Boulder County Jail for many years I was particularly touched by something that an inmate called Shane told Ms. Abbott. Shane said, “Working with dogs has been the vehicle I always needed to get in touch with myself, to put the anger and the old wounds to bed once and for all.” (p. 272) I’ve heard many stories like this and have recently written about how dogs and inmates help one another as they form close and reciprocal relationships in an essay called “Dogs on the Inside: Must See Documentary on Dogs and Inmates.”
I highly recommend both books to a wide audience. They raise numerous important and challenging questions about the nature of human-animal relationships) and are extremely inspirational. Each also shows how we can easily rescue, help, and heal other animals and how they can in turn rescue, help, and heal us.[i]
I highly recommend both books to a wide audience. They raise numerous important and challenging questions about the nature of human-animal relationships) and are extremely inspirational. Each also shows how we can easily rescue, help, and heal other animals and how they can in turn rescue, help, and heal us.[i]
Maclean’s Magazine
Best-known for her popular histories of human relationships (A History of Mistresses, A History of Marriage) and objects (Sugar: A Bittersweet History), Abbott, a Canadian academic and author, departs from form with this book. An account of her volunteer efforts to rescue unwanted and abused dogs, it begins in Haiti, where she was a reporter for Reuters and where she left behind her beloved dog, Tommy, and ends in her Toronto home, “a way station for needy dogs.” In between trot a large cast of canine characters, with Bonzi the beagle as the main plot device.
From his rescue in rural Ohio to his stint at a dog-training program in an American prison and, finally, his adoption by the author, Bonzi personifies Abbott’s mantra that redemption does not discriminate. Through his and other dogs’ inspiring stories, Abbott gets at the highs and lows of loving an animal we will inevitably outlive: the therapeutic balm of physical contact, the way a damaged rescue dog can become both our “albatross and purpose,” and the acute grief when a beast who loved us unconditionally finally dies.
“Inside prison, hatred and vitriol are in the air that you breathe; initiative and self-esteem are frowned on,” writes Shane Livingston, an imprisoned dog trainer who has since been released. “But when you get a dog and become a trainer, you are forced to reclaim your initiative, and sense of self-worth with it ... You learn to let go of anger, to try to be better.”
Abbott’s profound emotional connection to this subject distinguishes it from her other biographies. She believes all dogs, no matter how ill or injured, need saving, and that we humans owe it to them to “trade with the gifts God gave us.” In her single-minded commitment to the cause, some readers may see zeal bordering on fanaticism. But she did indeed find happiness at both ends of the leash. And as someone whose adopted rescue dog also brought her joy (and eventual heartbreak), this reader is deeply grateful to her and others like her.[ii]
From his rescue in rural Ohio to his stint at a dog-training program in an American prison and, finally, his adoption by the author, Bonzi personifies Abbott’s mantra that redemption does not discriminate. Through his and other dogs’ inspiring stories, Abbott gets at the highs and lows of loving an animal we will inevitably outlive: the therapeutic balm of physical contact, the way a damaged rescue dog can become both our “albatross and purpose,” and the acute grief when a beast who loved us unconditionally finally dies.
“Inside prison, hatred and vitriol are in the air that you breathe; initiative and self-esteem are frowned on,” writes Shane Livingston, an imprisoned dog trainer who has since been released. “But when you get a dog and become a trainer, you are forced to reclaim your initiative, and sense of self-worth with it ... You learn to let go of anger, to try to be better.”
Abbott’s profound emotional connection to this subject distinguishes it from her other biographies. She believes all dogs, no matter how ill or injured, need saving, and that we humans owe it to them to “trade with the gifts God gave us.” In her single-minded commitment to the cause, some readers may see zeal bordering on fanaticism. But she did indeed find happiness at both ends of the leash. And as someone whose adopted rescue dog also brought her joy (and eventual heartbreak), this reader is deeply grateful to her and others like her.[ii]
Penguin Canada Books
Reading this book I had to keep reminding myself that it was not fiction, but reality. As an animal lover and pet parent it took me on a roller coaster of emotions.
Elizabeth Abbott had me glued to this book from the start as she tries to reunite with her beloved dog Tommy who had to be left behind in Haiti, back with her in Toronto. Any pet owner/lover will empathize with her passion, commitment and dedication.
My teary eyes and broken heart read about the abuse and abandonment some of these dogs went through. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first one to avoid movies, TV shows and books that has any indication that an animal will be hurt or worse, but this book is truly an inspiration, teaching us what can be achieved with the help of people like Elizabeth and the dedication and hard work, very hard work, of the people she meets along the way.
Each chapter of this book gives you a deeper insight as to how dogs not only effect our lives, but how we can and do effect the lives of these dogs. From inside a prison, where both dog and inmate are brought together, technically saving each other, to the patient rooms and hallways of a Toronto hospital, all the way to post-war Serbia.
Elizabeth teaches us that no matter age, or physically challenges, these dogs are strong and have a place in this world, whether it be as a pampered pet inside someones home or as a proud therapy dog. Each dog has something to teach us and they all have a place in our hearts.
Pet owner or not, I can’t recommend Dogs & Underdogs enough. The stories and people in them are truly inspirational. I will never look at a rescued dog the same. Because of Elizabeth and her book, I will always wonder where this dog came from, what did it go through to get here, and could it have had any contact with Elizabeth or the vast network of the dedicated people she has met along her way.[iii]
Elizabeth Abbott had me glued to this book from the start as she tries to reunite with her beloved dog Tommy who had to be left behind in Haiti, back with her in Toronto. Any pet owner/lover will empathize with her passion, commitment and dedication.
My teary eyes and broken heart read about the abuse and abandonment some of these dogs went through. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first one to avoid movies, TV shows and books that has any indication that an animal will be hurt or worse, but this book is truly an inspiration, teaching us what can be achieved with the help of people like Elizabeth and the dedication and hard work, very hard work, of the people she meets along the way.
Each chapter of this book gives you a deeper insight as to how dogs not only effect our lives, but how we can and do effect the lives of these dogs. From inside a prison, where both dog and inmate are brought together, technically saving each other, to the patient rooms and hallways of a Toronto hospital, all the way to post-war Serbia.
Elizabeth teaches us that no matter age, or physically challenges, these dogs are strong and have a place in this world, whether it be as a pampered pet inside someones home or as a proud therapy dog. Each dog has something to teach us and they all have a place in our hearts.
Pet owner or not, I can’t recommend Dogs & Underdogs enough. The stories and people in them are truly inspirational. I will never look at a rescued dog the same. Because of Elizabeth and her book, I will always wonder where this dog came from, what did it go through to get here, and could it have had any contact with Elizabeth or the vast network of the dedicated people she has met along her way.[iii]
Presenting Dogs and Underdogs to dog-loving readers at the Sleuth of Baker Street / May 1, 2015, The Sleuth of Baker Street Bookstore
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Councilor Jon Burnside, dog rescuer, introduces Dogs and Underdogs at the Sleuth of Baker Street
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“I love Dogs and Underdogs. The stories are touching and right. What a good heart! How I wish everyone cared for animals that much! The book is a delight.”
Ingrid Newkirk,
President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
President, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
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“If you love dogs, if you love adventure, if you love honesty, if you love fine writing, then this is the book for you! I have rarely been as entranced as I was from the very first page. Abbott writes like an angel, and thinks like a true activist: if dogs could vote, she would be president tomorrow!”
Jeffrey Moussaief Masson,
author of nine books on the emotional life of animals including the bestselling Dogs Never Lie About Love.
author of nine books on the emotional life of animals including the bestselling Dogs Never Lie About Love.
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“Dogs are in, and there are numerous books about the strong, enduring, and reciprocal bond that forms between them and us. Elizabeth Abbott’s Dogs and Underdogs is a gem, surely one of the best reads that clearly shows how dogs help and rescue us and we help and rescue them when we open our hearts to just whom they are and what they can do.”
Marc Bekoff,
author of Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence.
author of Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence.
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“Abbott writes with knowledge and passion about the dogs she has known and loved. Her stories about a cast of canine characters from around the world highlight the challenges they have faced, but more than that, Dogs and Underdogs is a call to action that should convince every reader to follow Abbott’s lead in trying to help dogs. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.”
Rob Laidlaw,
author of award-winning No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs,
and director of Zoocheck Canada.
author of award-winning No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs,
and director of Zoocheck Canada.
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“If you are a ‘dog person’ you will love this book which is often funny, and always moving and inspirational. If you don’t consider yourself a ‘dog person.’ you will enjoy it anyway. A fascinating story about an extraordinary life.”
Maureen Jennings,
dog lover and author of the bestselling Murdoch Mysteries.
dog lover and author of the bestselling Murdoch Mysteries.
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“The dogs in this book come to life as persons who share in the personal, physical and political worlds of the humans that care about them, and share the same vulnerabilities. We’re all in this together, Elizabeth Abbott shows us, through every change of situation in her own life. For me, this was more than a ‘my life with dogs’ story, it is an epic of commitment and compassion that challenges me to think more carefully about the dogs that pass through my clinic and the shelter where I work.”
Debra (Debbie) Tacium, DMV,
shelter veterinarian at the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke, Quebec and animal-issues writer.
shelter veterinarian at the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke, Quebec and animal-issues writer.
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“Four decades of Elizabeth Abbott’s dog relationships and adventures come together in Dogs and Underdogs. The book is emotionally captivating and takes the reader on unimaginable real life journeys. What can Haiti, the University of Toronto, Ohio prisons, a Canadian hospital and Serbia all have in common? When it comes to Elizabeth Abbott – dogs of course! Attention dog lovers – curl up with this book – prepare to be moved.”
Lorraine Houston,
Director of Speaking of Dogs rescue organization
Director of Speaking of Dogs rescue organization
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“Elizabeth Abbott makes her own dramatic life seem like an understatement to what these canine spirits have given her. They have given her much, but don’t be fooled. These tales unwittingly reflect back to the reader the person that is Elizabeth Abbott: splendid.”
Wayson Choy,
author of award-winning The Jade Peony and Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood.
author of award-winning The Jade Peony and Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood.
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“Without doubt, dog’s best friend is Elizabeth Abbott, along with other dog rescuers world-wide. Not only does she truly walk the walk, she writes with a tough mind, a tender heart and unquenchable passion about canine casualties of war, discarded mutts rehabilitated by discarded men–as well as previously unlucky dogs she has personally given a new leash on life. Come to think of it, Elizabeth Abbott is the dog-book lover’s best friend too.”
Erika Ritter,
author of The Dog by the Cradle, the Serpent Beneath: Some Paradoxes of Human-Animal Relationships.
author of The Dog by the Cradle, the Serpent Beneath: Some Paradoxes of Human-Animal Relationships.
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“This book can be traced back to the moment a human first looked deep into the eyes of a wolf and saw–a friend. Others probably thought that person was crazy, but they weren’t. The kinship they recognized was firmly rooted in a shared social brain chemistry that would deepen into one of the most profound and life enhancing bonds on this planet. Thirty thousand years on, Elizabeth Abbott brings us a powerful reminder that dogs have always been worth our faith, our generosity, and even our heroics –because to rescue is to be rescued.”
Meg Daley Olmert,
documentary producer and author of Made For Each Other, The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond.
documentary producer and author of Made For Each Other, The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond.
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“In Dogs and Underdogs Elizabeth Abbott takes us to many places around the world and allows us to see how a rescued dog can save the heart and mind of the dog’s rescuer. Some truly touching accounts here may well bring a tear to the reader’s eye and a smile to the reader’s lips.”
Stanley Coren,
author of bestselling and award-winning books including How Dogs Think,
The Wisdom of Dogs, The Intelligence of Dogs and Why We Love the Dogs We Do.
author of bestselling and award-winning books including How Dogs Think,
The Wisdom of Dogs, The Intelligence of Dogs and Why We Love the Dogs We Do.
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Very Special Endorsement
by Shane Livingston
(Shane was a prison dog trainer for years, and critiqued the relevant chapters of my book)
by Shane Livingston
(Shane was a prison dog trainer for years, and critiqued the relevant chapters of my book)
“Late at night, sometime soon, someone will be closing your book in order to close their eyes to sleep. The deeper messages will have time to percolate in their minds. That’s the hallmark of a book with the ability to change minds!”
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In Belgrade, my publisher (left) and a representative of the Canadian Embassy (right) introduce the Serbian version of one of my books at a press conference at the Belgrade Book Fair. The Fair is the third largest in Europe, after Frankfurt and London.
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In the clink in March 2006, during a Riverdale Historical Society tour of the old Don Jail, now closed to (most of) the public. I wouldn’t be grinning if I were stuck in that wretched little cell for more than the few minutes it took me to examine and measure it. I was researching and writing a series of five articles, “Doing Time in Toronto,” for my column in The Voice, a local newspaper.
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Elizabeth Abbott Has Coffee with Maureen Jennings, Creator of Detective William H. Murdoch, Of #4 Police Station, Cabbagetown, late 19th century.
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Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1986: vernissage of Tropical Obsession, signing a copy for Aubelin Jolicoeur.
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[i] Marc Bekoff, PhD / Psychology Today / April 28, 2015.
[ii] Larissa Liepins / Maclean’s Magazine / April 24, 2015. [iii] Edie ThePug / Penguin Canada Books / June 15, 2015. |
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Elizabeth Abbott, PhD,
writer and historian,
contributor and honourable member of the Urban Book Circle
writer and historian,
contributor and honourable member of the Urban Book Circle
Edited by Djuradj Vujcic, Canadian journalist.
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Note: The Urban Book Circle does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that the Urban Book Circle has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our Terms and Conditions.
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Dogs and Underdogs: Finding Happiness at Both Ends of the Leash
by Elizabeth Abbott, PhD
by Elizabeth Abbott, PhD
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- Lauren O’Keefe | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | June 26, 2015
- Jon Kovacevic | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | June 26, 2015
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· Excerpts & Photographs: Elizabeth Abbott / All rights reserved 2015. Copyright © Elizabeth Abbott ·
· Photo of Samuel Beckett’s bookshelf in the study of his apartment at the Boulevard St Jacques in Paris courtesy of John Minihan / All rights reserved 1985. Copyright © John Minihan ·
· Design & Artwork by Djuradj Vujcic and Prvoslav Vujcic · Illustrated by Sarah Riordan and Deidre McAuliffe ·
· Edited by Djuradj Vujcic, Prvoslav Vujcic, Deidre McAuliffe, Sarah Riordan and Danijela Kovacevic Mikic ·
· Edited by Djuradj Vujcic, Prvoslav Vujcic, Deidre McAuliffe, Sarah Riordan and Danijela Kovacevic Mikic ·
All rights reserved 2015. Copyright © Urban Book Circle®
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Last updated on June 26, 2015.
Published by Urban Book Circle on June 26, 2015 Urban Book Circle® (UBC) |
