Puppy Express by David Rosenflet: On the road with 25 dogs

As an alternative to a standard pet product review, I’ve decided to publish a book review from time to time. In my role as a vet journalist, I am sent a number of interesting new books to review, and here’s the first to be reviewed on my blog.

This is mystery writer David Rosenfelt’s personal account of how he, his wife and their 25 dogs move some 1,450 miles from Southern California to Maine.

The title suggests a journey of bedlam and mayhem, and as an owner and frequent traveller with my own dog, I thought this book was sure to amuse. This story is an easy read. The book goes into detail about Rosenfelt’s planning for the trip: planned routes, the purchase of numerous Sat-Navs, 11 volunteers (some of whom he has never previously met), 3 RV’s, metres of portable fencing to make a mini dog grazing area, contingency plans, pit stops and enough food, canine and human, to feed a very large army.  So it is possible that quite a lot could go wrong with this trip…but it would appear that all Rosenfelt’s planning actually pays off as very little indeed happens on the road trip.

The story of the trip itself is rather unremarkable, but do not let this put you off reading this book. Throughout the book Rosenfelt provides us with incidental stories about some of the many dogs he has rescued and re-homed over the years. These demonstrate some heartbreaking stories about neglect, but the reader can be nothing but heartened by the true dedication and love the author and his partner show in taking on these dogs, dogs that
otherwise would have, and needlessly, been put to sleep.

So, if you are a dog lover, this would be a good Sunday afternoon read. The curious incident in the middle of the night of Sky and the Coyote is a cause of some amusement, and do people really have pet veal?

Puppy Express (Also available as Dogtripping) by David Rosenflet;
ISBN 978-0-7515-5352-9, published by Sphere 2014 at £6.99