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Dogs I Have Met: And The People They Found
Ken Foster knows that a dog can change a person's life. And that several dogs can change even more. For The Dogs Who Found Me, the author appeared in major media interviews such as NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and received hundreds of letters and stories about other karmic canine rescues. Many of these heartwarming stories are now compiled in this all-new follow-up to the original bestseller. Dogs I Have Met introduces us to injured California pit bull Jimmy, among others, as well as to one woman who opened her house to 55 stray dogs. Ken Foster will once again travel the country for interviews and in-store events to promote dog rescue and this all-new national bestseller.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
12 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Ken Foster
35 books97 followersKen Foster is the author of a memoir, The Dogs Who Found Me, which was a national bestseller. His collection of short stories, The Kind I'm Likely to Get, was a New York Times Notable Book. He is also the author of Dogs I Have Met, a collection of essays, and the editor of two anthologies, The KGB Bar Reader and Dog Culture. His work has been translated into German, Turkish and Arabic, and has appeared in The New York Times, Bark, Fence, The Village Voice, Newsday, Salon, and other publications. He lives in New Orleans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 8, 2025
Good book. I think people who are involved with rescue are saints. Also, cheers to those who are doing things to foster the welfare and healthy view of Pit Bulls too. The only negative on the book is that it feels a bit scattered, but I think of it as a group of stories on dogs which makes it easier to deal with the organization of the book. Hopefully, it doesn’t matter that I read this book before reading his other book ‘The Dogs Who Found Me’ so I will need to go and read that one soon.
I liked the book from the questions he ponders. He also brought out some information that I didn’t know on dog bites that I will share in this review.
Also, in the book he has letters or emails from people and their stories. Those are often very inspiring.
In the beginning of the book he mentions:
‘Last spring, Terry Gross asked me to describe my relationship with Brando when I was a guest on her NPR show, Fresh Air, “He's my soul mate,” | said, without thinking.’
That is the start of a good conversation on how important we see dogs. It enfolds into a story of a person who takes in a dog that needed a lot of care and referred to the dog as unique. Then he asks:
‘What exactly is it that makes some people see some animals as hopelessly demanding, while others see them as some thing we might term unique?’
I like his answer he comes to:
‘So, does it make sense to save a unique dog? Does it matter in the end whether everything we do makes sense? While there are those who shake their fingers in disgust at people who share an emotional bond with their pets, most of us realize that what we do for our dogs is not a selfless act, and it doesn't have to be. We're returning a favor they've done for us, for all the ways they keep us in check. The Delta Society, which studies the benefits of human-animal interaction, reports that people who care for pets experience lower levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, hypertension, and illness. And there’s nothing wrong with that.’
I don’t remember any big moment where you need Kleenex, like what too many people fear in dog books, but he does discuss the issue of their mortality:
‘Loving a dog—or a person—doesn’t mean that there aren't times when we need to put our feelings aside. And that is perhaps the one element of our relationships with dogs that makes our feelings so intense. We take them in knowing there will come a time when we will need to be with them, and support them, when it is time for them to die.’
Here are some other excerpts I also liked:
‘Mine is a totally unscientific sample, but I’ve never heard anyone say that the worst mistake of their life was getting a dog. What they say instead is this: I can't imagine what my life was like before... Having a dog has made me a more responsible person... Needless to say, he's the love of my life... I look at everything in a different way now... Our dogs connect us.’
‘On a stoop around the corner from us, I saw the dog who would become Jambalaya sitting calmly, watching the neighborhood slowly return. Like a lot of the animals, she seemed so at home with her perch that I assumed there were people with her. But that’s what dogs are like, even months after being abandoned: They are certain their owner is coming home. ‘
‘There’s a huge difference in the experience of people who volunteer to take an animal into their home—through adoption or fostering—and those who volunteer in a public shelter day after day. Those volunteers have to do the hard, essential work that many of the rest of us manage to avoid. They have to deal with the reality of overcrowding and the difficult decisions involved in shelter triage. Not all of the animals will be saved, yet the volunteers are there to make a difference, in spite of the odds. I wanted to make sure that I acknowledged their contributions, because so often volunteers can feel that they are invisible.’
This next bit was from my favorite story when someone found a dog with a broken pelvis. (In a coincidence a friend of mine fell off her horse and broke her pelvis a couple of days ago.)
‘But Jimmy was the center of our conversation as we drank margaritas and waited for our food at a Mexican place in Alameda. Martha explained that Jimmy had come into the shelter with a broken pelvis from a hit-and-run. Yet even in that condition, he had managed to wag his tail and offer kisses to everyone, so he had been saved.’
That lead into a conversation on something I didn’t know about regarding shelters:
‘You hear stories about public shelters all the time—about the number of animals put down, about the way these decisions are made. Often if an animal is sick or of a particular breed, they get dumped into the category of “unadoptable,’” which means that they aren't even counted among the statistics of euthanized dogs. This is how some shelters are able to claim they only euthanize 2 percent of their animals. Jimmy would have fallen into this category at many shelters because his post-accident treatment promised to be long and costly, and there was no telling whether there would be a home waiting for him at the end.’
Then I also appreciated this conversation on dog related fatalities. I know it is long, but good to know the information he gave during an exchange with high schoolers:
‘“What's most likely,” I asked them. “That a person will be killed by a dog or by lightning?” It was unanimous: our unnamed victim would no doubt be attacked and killed by a dog rather than by lightning. The entire classroom was certain. “Actually, we are all far more likely to be killed by lightning,” I informed them. Actually, five times more likely. And twenty-five times more likely to simply be struck by a lightning bolt without being killed. This comparison may seem absurd, but it helps to put things in perspective among people who are convinced that there is an epidemic of deadly dog attacks. We all know how often someone in the community is killed by lightning because that certainly makes the news. So if a real dog attack is that unlikely, why is everyone convinced that the opposite is true?
Among fatal dog attacks between the years of 1965 and 2001, 19 percent of the victims were under the age of one, with 95 percent of these occurring when the infant was left unsupervised with a dog. The second-largest group was two-year-olds, who accounted for 11 percent of fatalities, with 87 percent of these cases involving two-year-olds left unsupervised or two-year-olds who wandered off into another area, Boys between the ages of one and twelve were two and a half times more likely to be the victim of a fatal dog attack than girls of the same age. How do I know all of this? Because I read it in Karen Delise’s statistical study Fatal Dog Attacks.’
So nice book of stories, especially if you like stories around dog rescue and also if you like Pit Bulls. Speaking of Pit Bulls, here a final bit on when he went to someone’s house:
“No one runs over to greet the pit bull,” she said. “They usually head straight for the golden retriever.”
I liked the book from the questions he ponders. He also brought out some information that I didn’t know on dog bites that I will share in this review.
Also, in the book he has letters or emails from people and their stories. Those are often very inspiring.
In the beginning of the book he mentions:
‘Last spring, Terry Gross asked me to describe my relationship with Brando when I was a guest on her NPR show, Fresh Air, “He's my soul mate,” | said, without thinking.’
That is the start of a good conversation on how important we see dogs. It enfolds into a story of a person who takes in a dog that needed a lot of care and referred to the dog as unique. Then he asks:
‘What exactly is it that makes some people see some animals as hopelessly demanding, while others see them as some thing we might term unique?’
I like his answer he comes to:
‘So, does it make sense to save a unique dog? Does it matter in the end whether everything we do makes sense? While there are those who shake their fingers in disgust at people who share an emotional bond with their pets, most of us realize that what we do for our dogs is not a selfless act, and it doesn't have to be. We're returning a favor they've done for us, for all the ways they keep us in check. The Delta Society, which studies the benefits of human-animal interaction, reports that people who care for pets experience lower levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, hypertension, and illness. And there’s nothing wrong with that.’
I don’t remember any big moment where you need Kleenex, like what too many people fear in dog books, but he does discuss the issue of their mortality:
‘Loving a dog—or a person—doesn’t mean that there aren't times when we need to put our feelings aside. And that is perhaps the one element of our relationships with dogs that makes our feelings so intense. We take them in knowing there will come a time when we will need to be with them, and support them, when it is time for them to die.’
Here are some other excerpts I also liked:
‘Mine is a totally unscientific sample, but I’ve never heard anyone say that the worst mistake of their life was getting a dog. What they say instead is this: I can't imagine what my life was like before... Having a dog has made me a more responsible person... Needless to say, he's the love of my life... I look at everything in a different way now... Our dogs connect us.’
‘On a stoop around the corner from us, I saw the dog who would become Jambalaya sitting calmly, watching the neighborhood slowly return. Like a lot of the animals, she seemed so at home with her perch that I assumed there were people with her. But that’s what dogs are like, even months after being abandoned: They are certain their owner is coming home. ‘
‘There’s a huge difference in the experience of people who volunteer to take an animal into their home—through adoption or fostering—and those who volunteer in a public shelter day after day. Those volunteers have to do the hard, essential work that many of the rest of us manage to avoid. They have to deal with the reality of overcrowding and the difficult decisions involved in shelter triage. Not all of the animals will be saved, yet the volunteers are there to make a difference, in spite of the odds. I wanted to make sure that I acknowledged their contributions, because so often volunteers can feel that they are invisible.’
This next bit was from my favorite story when someone found a dog with a broken pelvis. (In a coincidence a friend of mine fell off her horse and broke her pelvis a couple of days ago.)
‘But Jimmy was the center of our conversation as we drank margaritas and waited for our food at a Mexican place in Alameda. Martha explained that Jimmy had come into the shelter with a broken pelvis from a hit-and-run. Yet even in that condition, he had managed to wag his tail and offer kisses to everyone, so he had been saved.’
That lead into a conversation on something I didn’t know about regarding shelters:
‘You hear stories about public shelters all the time—about the number of animals put down, about the way these decisions are made. Often if an animal is sick or of a particular breed, they get dumped into the category of “unadoptable,’” which means that they aren't even counted among the statistics of euthanized dogs. This is how some shelters are able to claim they only euthanize 2 percent of their animals. Jimmy would have fallen into this category at many shelters because his post-accident treatment promised to be long and costly, and there was no telling whether there would be a home waiting for him at the end.’
Then I also appreciated this conversation on dog related fatalities. I know it is long, but good to know the information he gave during an exchange with high schoolers:
‘“What's most likely,” I asked them. “That a person will be killed by a dog or by lightning?” It was unanimous: our unnamed victim would no doubt be attacked and killed by a dog rather than by lightning. The entire classroom was certain. “Actually, we are all far more likely to be killed by lightning,” I informed them. Actually, five times more likely. And twenty-five times more likely to simply be struck by a lightning bolt without being killed. This comparison may seem absurd, but it helps to put things in perspective among people who are convinced that there is an epidemic of deadly dog attacks. We all know how often someone in the community is killed by lightning because that certainly makes the news. So if a real dog attack is that unlikely, why is everyone convinced that the opposite is true?
Among fatal dog attacks between the years of 1965 and 2001, 19 percent of the victims were under the age of one, with 95 percent of these occurring when the infant was left unsupervised with a dog. The second-largest group was two-year-olds, who accounted for 11 percent of fatalities, with 87 percent of these cases involving two-year-olds left unsupervised or two-year-olds who wandered off into another area, Boys between the ages of one and twelve were two and a half times more likely to be the victim of a fatal dog attack than girls of the same age. How do I know all of this? Because I read it in Karen Delise’s statistical study Fatal Dog Attacks.’
So nice book of stories, especially if you like stories around dog rescue and also if you like Pit Bulls. Speaking of Pit Bulls, here a final bit on when he went to someone’s house:
“No one runs over to greet the pit bull,” she said. “They usually head straight for the golden retriever.”
December 22, 2007
I was thrilled for this book to come out because I really enjoyed Ken Foster's previous dog book. Unfortunately, this one came up short. I felt like a good deal of the book repeated information and ideas from the previous one. I still liked it, but I was glad I checked it out of the library instead of buying it.
Not to be too negative. I still love the way this author characterizes dogs and their companions. Maybe he's the dogwhisperer of modern literature.
Not to be too negative. I still love the way this author characterizes dogs and their companions. Maybe he's the dogwhisperer of modern literature.
November 2, 2014
I enjoyed this book and was pleased to read something by someone who unabashedly champions bully breeds. There were more than a few times I paused to reread certain observations and descriptions.
September 17, 2008
I found this a more enjoyable book than its prequel, The Dogs Who Found Me, (but then, I listened to the audio book for that title, and that colored my opinion of it) because this book is a total dog fix for a dogoholic like me. Included in this title are stories of dog acquaintances, dog friends, dog relatives, rescues, strays, and neighbors. Foster writes a lot about post-Katrina life in New Orleans in this book and the animals caught in the middle. Like many dog lovers, Ken knows the dogs before the people..the people are many times accessories to the various canines. I love that perspective.
August 10, 2015
t first I thought this was written by a non-English speaker, then by a woman (sorry to sterotype hysterically screaming people!)then I imagined it was self-published. Where was the editor??!! It meanders all over the place and there is no cohesion. Author was in South America, bonded with a dog, and left it there because the airline refused to transport it. There were no other avenues? Author couldn't Google until 6 years later, then didn't ask questions of anyone. He actually says he wanted to know something but 'didn't ask'. Ken Foster is a writer; he has been awarded prizes - I am at a loss to see why. I would love to know the stories in this book but can't get past the disjointed, badly edited text. I'm amazed it got published.
June 22, 2025
This book was hard for me to get into. It seemed a bit scattered. There are some stories but it doesn’t flow well.
June 19, 2019
I enjoyed reading about the dogs in this book even though at times it seemed like it was an advertisement for the authors previous book which I had never read. Without this advertisement and more substance I would have givin this book four stars
August 9, 2017
Great follow up
Some of the stories hit a little too close to home, but I love all of the stories and experiences of these pups and Ken Foster.
Some of the stories hit a little too close to home, but I love all of the stories and experiences of these pups and Ken Foster.
February 9, 2019
This book felt more like an addendum to his previous book, which I didn't read. I might give that one a try, instead. This also read more like a pro-pitbull breed book than just a book about dogs.
March 30, 2019
An enjoyable book for a dog lover.
February 22, 2009
I guess I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first...some of the stories were more captivating. However, the writing was just as poor as the first. Sometimes I was thinking...come on, you know you can do better than that! Once again the author breached a few very interesting subjects, like the vegetarian isssue, and what to feed your dogs if you don't want other animals to suffer...but he never expanded on these issues! He piqued my interest by opening up these subjects, but then just left the reader hanging. Frustrating. But again I enjoyed the parts revolving around New Orleans.
May 24, 2014
Not really sure why, but I couldn't get into this book like I did with the author's first one. Stories weren't all that interesting (particularly mentioning writing his first book and going on book signings) and the letters included from fans just got a bit repetitive after the first few.
(please note that my dislike of this book doesn't mean that I no longer admire the author and his work with rescuing dogs.)
(please note that my dislike of this book doesn't mean that I no longer admire the author and his work with rescuing dogs.)
October 2, 2008
Touching, funny, entertaining...all-around wonderful book. I picked it up for light-reading at 8 in the morning and ended up finishing it the same afternoon. That's not to suggest it was a silly book. It was such a touching, well-written book that any dog lover must read it at least once. I'd read it again and again if it didn't belong to the library :)
January 9, 2021
sucked eggs. i skimmed thru it in two hours. the stories are short and incomplete, mostly filled with vague mentionings of other people, their dogs names, and locations, and also letters written from fans of his other book. it felt more like looking thru someones list of name dropping except instead of celebrities its dogs and owners names as though that alone should be important.
Read
February 16, 2011I found the book enjoyed but if you aren't a dog lover you might not like it as much. I didn't like the fact that it only focused on pit bull rescue when lots of dogs need good homes. I know pit bulls get a bad rap and the author was trying to say that they are loving dogs. They still scare me.
August 10, 2013
Cute stories but lacked substance and at times the comments felt rather random. I appreciate the author's love of dogs and his actions to help dogs so can appreciate his efforts but this book just didn't offer much of what I was hoping it would. I loved the cover photo though, I have the edition with the gorgeous Brando not the adorable puppy.
October 4, 2014
I'm a sucker for books about animals. The dogs you meet in this book are real characters. God bless the people who help them.
I miss all my dogs (6 waiting at the Rainbow Bridge) and have thought of fostering, but I know I'd fall in love and would never be able to let them go. I am planning on volunteering when I retire.
I miss all my dogs (6 waiting at the Rainbow Bridge) and have thought of fostering, but I know I'd fall in love and would never be able to let them go. I am planning on volunteering when I retire.
July 28, 2015
Quick read. Very uplifting. Certainly enforced my belief in how the disposition of dogs (especially those wrongfully stereo-typed as "dangerous" or "Vicious") is based on how the dog is raised, and who is in control. This is the second of Ken Foster's books. I have not read his first Dogs I have met/Dogs who found me, but would definitely recommend for animal lovers.
January 23, 2017
Usually I like dog books but take my advice and pass on this one. I guess the author wrote another book; this book is just about his experiences meeting people because of that book and a bunch of random letters from his fans, most of which don't even talk about their dogs past, "I loved your book! I have a dog named Charlie! Thanks for writing a book!" It was painful.
April 19, 2010
I was a little dissapointed with this book as I felt it was really random. There were multiple times I had to re-read a section thinking I had missed something but no, the Author was jumping around quite a bit and stating things that seemed completely out of place. Overall, the stories were good.
August 15, 2010
I think this one fails in comparison to his previous book. It just felt like he was writing to put out another book for me. I admire and respect the man, just not sure I'll pay out for another one of his books.
January 11, 2010
Very good read ..... stories from the author, as well as other people, on the dogs they rescued and their relationships, and good information on various rescue / pet related websites at the back of the book.
March 15, 2015
I wish I had known about the first book before I started this one. My heart bleeds for the left dogs. My best furry friend died a year ago & there is nothing like the love of a dog to make your life whole.
December 30, 2016
The topic is great: fostering/ adopting unwanted or stray dogs. The writing is not great (basic and is jumpy) so it wasn't a good read. But the author is a dog lover so it gets two more stars for that.
January 15, 2008
This was a sweet book that had me laughing at loud. Easy read, I wish it hadn't read it so quickly.
June 17, 2008
Dog lovers mark this one on your to-read list.
October 13, 2008
Non-fiction
Very nice for any dogaholic. Ken Foster's previous book, The Dogs Who Found Me, is *wonderful*.
Very nice for any dogaholic. Ken Foster's previous book, The Dogs Who Found Me, is *wonderful*.
August 21, 2009
I didn't like this book quite as well as the first one ("The Dogs Who Found Me"), but I enjoyed it. This one felt a bit more disjointed to me.
September 29, 2009
Sweet and anecdotal, just what I expected and wanted. Bless Ken Foster and everyone who fosters strays... and yes, my dog's stomach does smell like corn chips!
October 22, 2009
Ah, another good book from my Auntie. This read is a great one if you know human beings as, "Casper's Mom" or "Rascal's Dad".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews