Mabel the Rescue Dog

Hi everyone, it’s Molly. My blog is usually written by my rescue dog, Mabel, but today she decided to let me write a post. I wanted to share my review of a very important book that I think everyone should read.

As important as adopting dogs is, many people don’t realize the seriousness of the situation. The truth is, the problem is even bigger than most dog lovers could ever imagine. One Hundred Dogs and Counting by Cara Sue Achterberg shows readers an in-depth look on the problems in this world and helps people see that adopting dogs is even more important than we realize.

Cara Sue Achterberg is the author of several other books including Another Good Dog, which tells the story of her adventures with foster dogs. One Hundred Dogs and Counting takes place after that book, and it goes even further to show what life is like for the dogs that aren’t as fortunate.

One Hundred Dogs and Counting

One Hundred Dogs and Counting starts off with telling the story of dog fostering. Cara has fostered over 100 dogs so far, and she will only continue to foster more. Throughout the book, she stresses the importance of dog fostering and how it can save lives.

Cara fosters dogs through Operation Homes for Paws (OPH), a rescue that is very important to me. The book starts off with the story of Gala, a dog who had a hard time finding her forever family. Gala was a special foster dog because even though she could sometimes be difficult, she had a special place in the family’s heart.

In the beginning, the book went on to explain the struggles Cara felt when she couldn’t find a home for Gala, and she also discussed some of her other foster dogs too. It certainly didn’t sugarcoat fostering in any way, but that was to prove that even though fostering is hard work, it is extremely rewarding in the end.

At first, I thought the book was just going to be about fostering, but then, Cara realized there was more she could do to help. So, she went on road trips to visit shelters that were less fortunate. These were shelters that had very little funds and space. Unfortunately, many of these shelters had to euthanize dogs, but it wasn’t because they wanted to. It was because they seemed to have no other choice.

Cara brought donations to these shelters, helped them with whatever they needed, and even tried to get OPH to bring some of the dogs to their rescue. Despite how difficult it was to see these less fortunate shelters and rescues, she continued to help because she knew it could make a difference for these dogs.

The book goes into detail about Cara’s journey with fostering, and then her journey to the shelters. It gives a look at the dark side of dog shelters that many people don’t even know about.

My Review and Rating

I rated this book 5 stars on Goodreads without hesitation. Not only did it hold a special place in my heart, but it opened my eyes to the realities of this world. I thought I knew so much about rescue dogs, but after reading this book, I realized that the problem is even bigger than I could’ve imagined.

Not only is the book incredibly eye-opening, but it’s also extremely detailed. Cara never misses an opportunity to describe what she saw and felt throughout her experiences. As I was reading it, I truly felt like I was in her shoes, seeing the dogs through her eyes.

I have always known that I want to be a dog foster mom one day. I’m still really young, so I’ve had a hard time finding an affordable apartment that would allow me to have a foster dog along with the two rescue dogs I already have. However, reading this book made me even more motivated to reach that goal.

I would love to be just like Cara when I grow up, both fostering hundreds of dogs and writing books to spread the word. This blog is just the beginning of how I can help. I am so grateful that One Hundred Dogs and Counting has made me even more motivated than I was before. I believe it could have the same impact on lots of other people too.

Who Should Read This Book?

I think everyone should read this book, but it’s likely that dog lovers would enjoy it the most. However, whether you are as dog crazy as me or if you only like dogs a little bit, I think you could still benefit from reading it. In fact, reading it might even help you love dogs more.

I’m sure everyone that reads this book will learn something, and I hope that it will motivate them to want to help more. Even if you’re unable to foster or adopt, you can still donate, volunteer, and spread the word.

This book helps show that every little thing we can do to help dogs could make a huge difference. So many dogs are dying in shelters because people are unaware of the situation. If more people adopted and less people bought puppies, then we might be able to fix the problem. We just need more people to care.

So, if you’re interested in finding out the reality of the dog problems in this world, you should definitely add this book to your to-read list. Also, if you want to find out more ways you can help dogs in need, this is also a great resource for that.

This book will officially come out on July 7th, but you can preorder it on Amazon now!

Also, if you want to learn more about how to help rescue dogs, please check out Cara’s dog blogs: Another Good Dog and Who Will Let the Dogs Out?

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Images provided by Cara Sue Achterberg