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Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for Truth
When journalist Kim Kavin decided that she wanted a puppy, she did what millions of people do every year: clicked on an online photo and submitted an application. She had no idea that the adorable brindle puppy—advertised as healthy and near her home in New Jersey—was actually a last-minute rescue from a gas-chamber shelter in North Carolina. Blue had arrived in the Northeast with at least a dozen other dogs in an RV that is just one among countless transports whose sponsors are dedicating their efforts to saving dogs by any means possible. Blue was happy and friendly, but he seemed to have endured some unusual albeit unknown ordeal. The dog’s manner prompted Kavin to trace his history all the way back to a long row of cages where Blue had been tagged to be put down in just three more days. Little Boy Blue is the true story of one sweet puppy’s journey of survival. It’s also a shocking exposé that describes a brutal ongoing reality inside some of this country’s taxpayer-funded shelters. But Little Boy Blue also tells an inspiring story of the grass-roots rescue network that has exploded across the nation in recent years. Readers will come to know and love a very special dog who now brings smiles to the faces of everyone he meets. From a single click of Kim Kavin’s computer mouse, Blue’s journey of a lifetime began. This is the story of Little Boy Blue, told with candor and a great deal of love. Readers will see Blue and other foster dogs that have been rescued by Kim Kavin in this book’s color photo insert.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will donated to the Petfinder.com Foundation.
From the Reviews:
"A moving call to action."
—Kirkus Reviews
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will donated to the Petfinder.com Foundation.
From the Reviews:
"A moving call to action."
—Kirkus Reviews
306 pages, Hardcover
First published July 23, 2012
18 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
About the author
Kim Kavin
17 books56 followersI joined the high school newspaper as a freshman, went on to graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism and spent years as a daily newspaper editor before becoming executive editor of Yachting magazine. After more than three years in that job, I left in 2003 to follow my passion and become a full-time freelance writer and editor.
My primary area of expertise is luxury travel by boat, and in 2012, I published my ninth book, "Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for Truth." It let me combine my journalism experience with my desire to help all dogs live better lives. In May 2016, my second dog book will be released. Its title is "The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores and Rescuers."
My primary area of expertise is luxury travel by boat, and in 2012, I published my ninth book, "Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for Truth." It let me combine my journalism experience with my desire to help all dogs live better lives. In May 2016, my second dog book will be released. Its title is "The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores and Rescuers."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 10, 2013
4 stars, not for literary accomplishment, but for the information which Kim Kavin gathered and her goal to spread awareness through the US about the public animal care systems, and rescue charities. If you are an animal lover, then you will want to read this book and perhaps add your efforts to solving the atrocity of the daily massacre of companion animals.
I adopted a pup. Hobbes was about to be murdered at the San Antonio Animal Control (they call it Animal Care, but, believe me, their focus is Animal Control) Services. This high-kill shelter is a one of the many signs that San Antonio is a Neanderthal, hick town. I tend to vote Democrat, and Mayor Castro may look pretty, but he hasn't installed the right director of dog catchers--so I'm mad at him right now. The US Northeast is decades ahead in education, empathy, and general enlightenment. SA is not my favorite city at the moment.
Information in this book may surprise you. At the very least it will make you think several times over before buying from a breeder. If you want a great pet, adopt from a shelter or a rescue. For more convincing arguments, I suggest you read this short book.
January 12, 2013
Okay, I have to confess, I'm an animal lover/advocate but I have not yet been able to read this entire book (I'm about halfway). The book is not an easy read but should be required reading for anyone who plans on buying a dog from a puppy mill (aka. pet shop) or breeder; go check out the local shelters or even www.petfinder.com to be rescued by your next pet.
In this book, Ms. Kavin researches just how she came to have Blue and how truly lucky he was/is. She also finds out just how cruel many animals who end up in animal control have it. She even describes the "gray box" where many dogs are gassed (carbon monoxide) and the next batch to be killed are dumped in on top of the already dead dogs. She even takes you to the dump where bags of dead animals are left..............waste handlers even tell of seeing some of these bags moving because not all of the dogs are dead. Yeah, this is where I have stopped reading at this point in time. I couldn't see the page through the tears.
Next up for you, head over to www.bestfriends.org and join the No Kill movement. There are something like 27 communities nationwide that have successfully gone "No Kill;" Los Angeles getting on board this past August (2012). So, yes, even in large cities it can be achieved. Now, what are YOU going to do to help?
In this book, Ms. Kavin researches just how she came to have Blue and how truly lucky he was/is. She also finds out just how cruel many animals who end up in animal control have it. She even describes the "gray box" where many dogs are gassed (carbon monoxide) and the next batch to be killed are dumped in on top of the already dead dogs. She even takes you to the dump where bags of dead animals are left..............waste handlers even tell of seeing some of these bags moving because not all of the dogs are dead. Yeah, this is where I have stopped reading at this point in time. I couldn't see the page through the tears.
Next up for you, head over to www.bestfriends.org and join the No Kill movement. There are something like 27 communities nationwide that have successfully gone "No Kill;" Los Angeles getting on board this past August (2012). So, yes, even in large cities it can be achieved. Now, what are YOU going to do to help?
September 23, 2012
This is the story of Kim Kavin's search for more information about Blue, a dog she adopted through a local rescue group near her New Jersey home. For every question that was answered, more questions arose. She followed each trail and ended up on a journey that revealed the good, the bad, and the ugly of some grassroots canine rescue groups and animal shelters.
Because of the prevalence of high-kill shelters in many areas - and thanks to the internet's ability to connect like-minded and dedicated individuals - an "underground railroad" of sorts has developed to get thousands of dogs out of the high kill shelters and into good homes. This is a fascinating look into that world. Some parts are not easy for animal lovers to read. (I confess to skipping a few pages along the way.). But I couldn't put this book down. it is a wonderful book with fascinating insights and many uplifting moments. If you have a dog - or ever intend to get one - this is well worth reading and may help you decide where and how to bring a loving animal into your home.
Because of the prevalence of high-kill shelters in many areas - and thanks to the internet's ability to connect like-minded and dedicated individuals - an "underground railroad" of sorts has developed to get thousands of dogs out of the high kill shelters and into good homes. This is a fascinating look into that world. Some parts are not easy for animal lovers to read. (I confess to skipping a few pages along the way.). But I couldn't put this book down. it is a wonderful book with fascinating insights and many uplifting moments. If you have a dog - or ever intend to get one - this is well worth reading and may help you decide where and how to bring a loving animal into your home.
February 18, 2013
This was not at all what I expected; I thought this would be more of a story about Blue, but instead, it is a hard and in-depth look at what happens to dogs who ends up in some of these "shelters." I love Blue's story, but I have to admit, it is tough reading. The reality of a shelter dog's chances is something that everyone needs to know about. Hearing about the gas chambers at some of the shelters disturbed, saddened and angered me. It brought me to tears thinking about the plight of these animals. There is so much that I never knew about the shelters - such as some of them having high kill rates, or not waiting to euthanize dogs that are surrendered by their owners. I never thought about citizens paying their local tax dollars to shelters, thinking that their shelter was trying to find animals home, when in reality, they are killing a high percentage of them. I guess this illustrates the importance of asking questions and finding out what is really going on in some of these places. Not all shelters are like this, and I am so thankful for the ones that really try and place the homeless animals.
This book made me realize how lucky my Winston, a senior overweight beagle hound was. It was because the woman in a shelter in a small rural Pennsylvania community looked at his face and decided she could not euthanize him when his former people dumped him. She gave him a chance by posting his picture online, and I happened to find him. When I read this book, it gave me chills as I realized how slim a chance he ever had of surviving being dumped at a shelter. But he did, and I had a wonderful 2.5 years with him before he died of old age.
This book made me realize how lucky my Winston, a senior overweight beagle hound was. It was because the woman in a shelter in a small rural Pennsylvania community looked at his face and decided she could not euthanize him when his former people dumped him. She gave him a chance by posting his picture online, and I happened to find him. When I read this book, it gave me chills as I realized how slim a chance he ever had of surviving being dumped at a shelter. But he did, and I had a wonderful 2.5 years with him before he died of old age.
May 5, 2016
I loved this book. It took me a little bit of time to complete, only because the first few chapters are difficult to get through, emotionally. The work that Kavin put into researching not only the past of her dog, but in the east coast treatment of strays in general is truly remarkable. My dog is a rescue, who I knew came from South Carolina all the way to New York. I decided to some of my own research by looking up the shelter he was initially taken in by. To my surprise, this shelter is one of the largest open admission shelters in South Carolina, who promote spay/neuter and cheap services to pet adopters. It is great to see shelters implementing the mentality of finding better ways to adopt out animals, rather than focusing on more humane ways to euthanize them.
May 31, 2017
If you have a rescue dog you will want to read this book. Very eye opening.
June 20, 2014
Couldn't resist the face on the front cover, a sweet looking puppy of indeterminate breed lineage. Inside, I learned his story, which makes him a Lucky Boy Blue too. Kavin fell in love with Blue while looking at a local rescue's website and was surprised to learn her new puppy would be coming to her New Jersey home from a shelter in rural North Carolina. Ever the journalist, Kavin wanted to learn more about how a puppy from North Carolina got offered on the New Jersey rescue's website and the kind of life he had prior to being rescued. To say that Kavin was horrified would be putting it mildly, as she became educated on the 95% kill rate at Blue's shelter, common at many southern 'shelters', and that most of the dogs that are killed are done so in inhumane gas chambers where the dogs scramble over the bodies of those who went before them and are loaded into black trash bags and sent to the landfill, whether the gas has killed them or simply knocked them out. Thankfully, Kavin did not include pictures of these horrors, because while they would be powerful educators, the pictures would likely turn readers away from the positives of the book. Kavin chooses instead to focus on aligning with the rescues who try to get as many puppies and healthy adoptable dogs out of the high kill shelters, showing pictures of the dogs she has fostered to enable them to go to loving homes. One observation in particular which she had that saddened me is that the shelters like the one Blue came from kill any owner-surrendered dogs almost immediately because there's no chance they were lost and the owner would be coming to look for them.
She answered the number one question I had, which was, 'why bring dogs up from the south when there are many dogs crowding the shelters up north?' early in the book by noting that a large percentage of northern shelter dogs are older or pit bulls/pit bull mixes and northern shelters do not have the same high kill rates as the ones down south. So if the rescues can save dogs by sending them to homes in the north, a dog saved is a dog saved regardless of its origin or destination, saying she'd be equally happy if the dogs were going west or to the Midwest, as long as they were getting homes.
All in all, an excellent read that exposes the truth about some animal shelters without shoving it down readers' throats, though the message is an underlying thread the whole time. Plus, you get anecdotes of Kavin's life with Blue and her honesty about what it takes to be a good responsible pet owner who wants to go beyond just being a pet owner.
She answered the number one question I had, which was, 'why bring dogs up from the south when there are many dogs crowding the shelters up north?' early in the book by noting that a large percentage of northern shelter dogs are older or pit bulls/pit bull mixes and northern shelters do not have the same high kill rates as the ones down south. So if the rescues can save dogs by sending them to homes in the north, a dog saved is a dog saved regardless of its origin or destination, saying she'd be equally happy if the dogs were going west or to the Midwest, as long as they were getting homes.
All in all, an excellent read that exposes the truth about some animal shelters without shoving it down readers' throats, though the message is an underlying thread the whole time. Plus, you get anecdotes of Kavin's life with Blue and her honesty about what it takes to be a good responsible pet owner who wants to go beyond just being a pet owner.
April 21, 2017
I loved this book - not only because this is my world lately and because Kim Kavin is quite obviously a kindred spirit, but because the writing was excellent, the research complete, and the passion so evident. Kavin educates without beating us over the head; she exposes the horrors of dog overpopulation, while admitting her own bias and misconceptions. Not only that, she writes a beautiful tale about an adorable puppy and a woman looking for answers admidst so personal pain and political agendas. Bravo. Everyone should read this book.
October 23, 2012
My bookstore The Booktrader of Hamilton is having a signing with Kim November 10th from 1-3pm. I'm very excited to have her come to our store and am reading her book now in anticipation of the event. So far it's been very good, though there have been a few times when I was close to tears. I have a soft spot for animals and Blue is so lovable!
Amazing book, well researched and written. I can't wait to talk with the author and have her sign my book!
Amazing book, well researched and written. I can't wait to talk with the author and have her sign my book!
March 5, 2021
I give this a 5 because it covers a good topic. When I chose to read this book I thought it would be about the dog which it was but it was so much more. She discusses how many dogs are killed using gas chambers. She goes into how rescues work and how they are working to change kill shelters into no kill shelters. Many dogs are transported from one area to another to be adopted. She also talks about how they are working at spaying and neutering to stop the over population of dogs and cats. This is a good book to see what is going on in America with regard to unwanted pets. Please adopt and please spay or neuter.
July 23, 2022
Good information alternated with saccharine, anthropomorphizing language. The rescue volunteers who help move animals from high-kill shelters in the South up to adopters in the North make for a fascinating story, and I'd take no issue with the author's obvious bias in their favor if she just gave up the pretense of journalism. To her credit she does mention problems with the Wild West nature of these rescues (including the spread of disease, lack of oversight into the treatment of the animals, and the number of adoptable animals already waiting for homes in Northern shelters), but quickly glosses them over in favor of praising the people involved. Including one woman who she personally witnessed holding large numbers of dogs in horrible, hoarding conditions.
She's also quick to decide her new puppy was abused by his first owner, giving it as a possible reason for his chronic carsickness (she imagines him being thrown from a car window), but at no point do the many trainers or vets involved in his story seem to consider that he might just... get nauseous. Lots of people get carsick and hate car rides as a result.
A great subject, poorly handled.
She's also quick to decide her new puppy was abused by his first owner, giving it as a possible reason for his chronic carsickness (she imagines him being thrown from a car window), but at no point do the many trainers or vets involved in his story seem to consider that he might just... get nauseous. Lots of people get carsick and hate car rides as a result.
A great subject, poorly handled.
March 29, 2013
If you have mixed feelings about the cost/benefit ratio of transporting shelter dogs between states in search of new homes, as I did going in, this would be a good place to start.
At first I objected to what I saw as a hostile SHAME ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED DEATH CENTERS tone, worried that she wouldn't take into account the effects of restrictive budgets versus rescue groups with more appeal to enthusiastic donors and volunteers. But as the book progressed I felt she did a very fair job of not bashing anyone, and pointing out genuine problems in shelters with a 95% (!) kill rate re: discrepancy between the amount of funding spent euthanizing versus actively attempting to place dogs. She proved the need for the transport network, at least as an interim measure.
She also opened my eyes to how bad gas chambers are -- I naively assumed they were like being put under at the dentist -- and just plain awful bureaucracy when it comes to putting animal protection laws on the books. These are the kinds of things I should hear people getting angry about like they do for legislature pertaining to gay marriage and abortion restrictions. I say this as a person who usually tries to play devil's advocate and see the reasoning behind being for or against new laws beyond "because they're stupid and hateful," but not today. Anyone who is worried about the letter of laws for shelters possibly making it harder to profit off breeding/selling animals can sit down and hush up.
I found it a little harder to connect with her personal story, which I freely blame on my personal indifference to pit-bull-built dogs, especially of a brindle color (I'm sure they make lovely family dogs, they're just not cute to me). If the story had been about her foster dog Summer, I would have wanted to know every detail.
But all things considered, a well researched, informative and engagingly written work of nonfiction.
At first I objected to what I saw as a hostile SHAME ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED DEATH CENTERS tone, worried that she wouldn't take into account the effects of restrictive budgets versus rescue groups with more appeal to enthusiastic donors and volunteers. But as the book progressed I felt she did a very fair job of not bashing anyone, and pointing out genuine problems in shelters with a 95% (!) kill rate re: discrepancy between the amount of funding spent euthanizing versus actively attempting to place dogs. She proved the need for the transport network, at least as an interim measure.
She also opened my eyes to how bad gas chambers are -- I naively assumed they were like being put under at the dentist -- and just plain awful bureaucracy when it comes to putting animal protection laws on the books. These are the kinds of things I should hear people getting angry about like they do for legislature pertaining to gay marriage and abortion restrictions. I say this as a person who usually tries to play devil's advocate and see the reasoning behind being for or against new laws beyond "because they're stupid and hateful," but not today. Anyone who is worried about the letter of laws for shelters possibly making it harder to profit off breeding/selling animals can sit down and hush up.
I found it a little harder to connect with her personal story, which I freely blame on my personal indifference to pit-bull-built dogs, especially of a brindle color (I'm sure they make lovely family dogs, they're just not cute to me). If the story had been about her foster dog Summer, I would have wanted to know every detail.
But all things considered, a well researched, informative and engagingly written work of nonfiction.
September 26, 2012
It started with a search on PetFinder.com for dogs available for adoption near Kim Kavin’s New Jersey home. That's where she found Blue, the dog who would inspire her to research and write Little Boy Blue: A Puppy's Rescue from Death Row and His Owner's Journey for the Truth. Kavin soon learned that Blue (named for a character in the movie Old School) was actually being brought to her local rescue organization from a shelter in Person County, North Carolina. Blue’s vet raised some questions about his previous care, so Kavin began to dig deeper into his past, finding that her puppy had been at a shelter where 95% of dogs who enter are euthanized and a gas chamber is regularly used.
Kavin’s search led her to find that Blue’s story isn’t at all unusual. There are volunteer organizations that work to ferry dogs from high-kill shelters to other parts of the country where they will be adopted. The harsh reality of those shelters and how many dogs are put to death there is both shocking and sad. Kavin was inspired to do what she could to help these dogs and began to foster rescued dogs in her home until permanent homes can be found for them. To date, 12 foster dogs have had a temporary home with Kavin and Blue. She also shares the ways that readers can get involved and help these animals. This is a heartbreaking but worthwhile read for animal lovers.
Unlike many of the dogs that Kavin learned about, Blue's story has a happy ending. He now lives with Kavin in New Jersey where he revels in all varieties of peanut butter-flavored treats and enjoys long walks with Kavin. He recently got a newly adopted canine sister named Ginger. Catch up with him on his Facebook page (facebook.com/littleboybluedog). A portion of the proceeds from Little Boy Blue will go to the Petfinder Foundation to help other dogs have long, happy lives like Blue.
Kavin’s search led her to find that Blue’s story isn’t at all unusual. There are volunteer organizations that work to ferry dogs from high-kill shelters to other parts of the country where they will be adopted. The harsh reality of those shelters and how many dogs are put to death there is both shocking and sad. Kavin was inspired to do what she could to help these dogs and began to foster rescued dogs in her home until permanent homes can be found for them. To date, 12 foster dogs have had a temporary home with Kavin and Blue. She also shares the ways that readers can get involved and help these animals. This is a heartbreaking but worthwhile read for animal lovers.
Unlike many of the dogs that Kavin learned about, Blue's story has a happy ending. He now lives with Kavin in New Jersey where he revels in all varieties of peanut butter-flavored treats and enjoys long walks with Kavin. He recently got a newly adopted canine sister named Ginger. Catch up with him on his Facebook page (facebook.com/littleboybluedog). A portion of the proceeds from Little Boy Blue will go to the Petfinder Foundation to help other dogs have long, happy lives like Blue.
October 12, 2012
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/SXjFQ1
My opinion: Anyone who follows my blog, knows that I don't review much non-fiction. Especially non-fiction that can cause a ton of debate due to me wanting to keep A Book and A Review a light zone. I had the opportunity to stumble upon this book and knew I not only needed to review it, but, as an animal lover, get the word out on this book.
This book is a must read for anyone who feels that spaying/neutering their pet is inhumane and those who are animal lovers. Don't expect a sweet story from this book. Kavin takes an in depth look at the world of High Kill Shelters/Animal Control/Animal Rescue. It had several moments that were simply heartbreaking, especially determining that a chunk of the cats/dogs sent to their death could be prevented simply from them not being born or being cursed with irresponsible pet owners.
It is not only a depressing book though. Ms. Kavin does detail improvements in processes in the pet adoption process, as well as things pet mommies and daddies can do, but the negative aspects of it still permeated the book.
I knew this book was going to be an absolute winner when Jim Gorant, author of the NY Times Bestselling novel, THE LOST DOGS: MICHAEL VICK'S DOGS and THEIR TALE OF RESCUE AND REDEMPTION wrote the foreword to it. The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption byJim Gorant
My opinion: Anyone who follows my blog, knows that I don't review much non-fiction. Especially non-fiction that can cause a ton of debate due to me wanting to keep A Book and A Review a light zone. I had the opportunity to stumble upon this book and knew I not only needed to review it, but, as an animal lover, get the word out on this book.
This book is a must read for anyone who feels that spaying/neutering their pet is inhumane and those who are animal lovers. Don't expect a sweet story from this book. Kavin takes an in depth look at the world of High Kill Shelters/Animal Control/Animal Rescue. It had several moments that were simply heartbreaking, especially determining that a chunk of the cats/dogs sent to their death could be prevented simply from them not being born or being cursed with irresponsible pet owners.
It is not only a depressing book though. Ms. Kavin does detail improvements in processes in the pet adoption process, as well as things pet mommies and daddies can do, but the negative aspects of it still permeated the book.
I knew this book was going to be an absolute winner when Jim Gorant, author of the NY Times Bestselling novel, THE LOST DOGS: MICHAEL VICK'S DOGS and THEIR TALE OF RESCUE AND REDEMPTION wrote the foreword to it. The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption byJim Gorant
April 1, 2014
THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL DOG LOVERS. THIS WOMAN'S JOURNEY INTO FINDING OUT HER RESCUE DOGS PAST LED TO SOME VERY HORRIFIC PLACES. THAT SAID, SHE FOUND MANY WONDERFUL PLACES THAT MOST OF US HAVE ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT AND A FEW OTHERS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT AND PLAN TO HELP.
I WAS HAPPILY SURPRISED SHE MENTIONED A HORRIFIC, WELL THERE ARE MANY HORRIFIC PLACES IN THAT STATE, IN NC THAT A WERE DOING HEART STICKING TO KILL THESE BEAUTIFUL DOGS. I REMEMBER THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE SO MANY OF US SENT LETTERS AND SIGNED PETITIONS TO GET THIS PLACE STOPPED AND THE DIRECTOR REMOVED. AND AS A GREAT RESULT OF SO MANY, THIS HAPPENED. THEY STILL DO EUTHANIZE THE DOGS BUT NOT IN THAT WAY, THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO THE INJECTION. I'M HOPING THEY BECOME A NO KILL AT SOME POINT.
MANY PLACES STILL HAVE THE GAS CHAMBER AS WELL, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT IS ILLEGAL IN MANY STATES NOW AND HOPING TO KEEP FIGHTING IT IN OTHER STATES. ONE HEROIC MAN AS SOON AS HE WON THE BATTLE TO TAKE OVER A SHELTER TOOK A BULLDOZER AND KNOCKED THE GAS CHAMBER TO THE GROUND AS HIS FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
THERE ARE SO MANY DOGS IN THESE KILL SHELTERS AND THROUGH THE HELP OF ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS, RESCUE GROUPS, PEOPLE IN GENERAL WHO PULL THEM OUT AND FOSTER THEM TO FIND BETTER HOMES ARE ANGELS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT NEED HELP.
THIS BOOK IS A WONDERFUL WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON THINGS YOU CAN DO AND ON THE LIVES OF SOME WONDERFUL DOGS THAT WERE SAVED. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL DOG LOVERS OUT THERE!
I WAS HAPPILY SURPRISED SHE MENTIONED A HORRIFIC, WELL THERE ARE MANY HORRIFIC PLACES IN THAT STATE, IN NC THAT A WERE DOING HEART STICKING TO KILL THESE BEAUTIFUL DOGS. I REMEMBER THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE SO MANY OF US SENT LETTERS AND SIGNED PETITIONS TO GET THIS PLACE STOPPED AND THE DIRECTOR REMOVED. AND AS A GREAT RESULT OF SO MANY, THIS HAPPENED. THEY STILL DO EUTHANIZE THE DOGS BUT NOT IN THAT WAY, THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO THE INJECTION. I'M HOPING THEY BECOME A NO KILL AT SOME POINT.
MANY PLACES STILL HAVE THE GAS CHAMBER AS WELL, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT IS ILLEGAL IN MANY STATES NOW AND HOPING TO KEEP FIGHTING IT IN OTHER STATES. ONE HEROIC MAN AS SOON AS HE WON THE BATTLE TO TAKE OVER A SHELTER TOOK A BULLDOZER AND KNOCKED THE GAS CHAMBER TO THE GROUND AS HIS FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
THERE ARE SO MANY DOGS IN THESE KILL SHELTERS AND THROUGH THE HELP OF ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS, RESCUE GROUPS, PEOPLE IN GENERAL WHO PULL THEM OUT AND FOSTER THEM TO FIND BETTER HOMES ARE ANGELS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT NEED HELP.
THIS BOOK IS A WONDERFUL WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON THINGS YOU CAN DO AND ON THE LIVES OF SOME WONDERFUL DOGS THAT WERE SAVED. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL DOG LOVERS OUT THERE!
August 10, 2012
When I got this book, I was expecting a cute story about a woman and her dog. Awesome!
Instead, I discovered it was a powerful exposé of animal shelters and rescues in the U.S.
Kim lives in New Jersey. After she adopted Blue (who she named after the character in the movie, Old School), a sweet and friendly puppy, she was curious about where he came from.
She tracked his origins to a funded shelter in Person County, North Carolina, which has a gas chamber and a 95% kill rate. Can you imagine??!! Blue had been three days away from entering that gas chamber when he was taken by a dog rescue group, neutered in a "van", put in an RV and delivered to Kim in a parking lot.
This prompted her to investigate animal shelters, rescues, traveling neutering vans, animal hoarding, etc. And she's not afraid to name names.
This is a must-read for all dog lovers and will probably prompt you to do something ... anything ... to help dogs have a better life.
What can you do? Volunteer, foster dogs, neuter your dog so there isn't an over abundance of dogs, investigate to whom you are donating your money so you can be assured that you aren't supporting shelters with gas chambers or who sell dogs for dogfighting, as bait, or for experiments.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2012/08...
Instead, I discovered it was a powerful exposé of animal shelters and rescues in the U.S.
Kim lives in New Jersey. After she adopted Blue (who she named after the character in the movie, Old School), a sweet and friendly puppy, she was curious about where he came from.
She tracked his origins to a funded shelter in Person County, North Carolina, which has a gas chamber and a 95% kill rate. Can you imagine??!! Blue had been three days away from entering that gas chamber when he was taken by a dog rescue group, neutered in a "van", put in an RV and delivered to Kim in a parking lot.
This prompted her to investigate animal shelters, rescues, traveling neutering vans, animal hoarding, etc. And she's not afraid to name names.
This is a must-read for all dog lovers and will probably prompt you to do something ... anything ... to help dogs have a better life.
What can you do? Volunteer, foster dogs, neuter your dog so there isn't an over abundance of dogs, investigate to whom you are donating your money so you can be assured that you aren't supporting shelters with gas chambers or who sell dogs for dogfighting, as bait, or for experiments.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2012/08...
December 13, 2012
This is a pretty amazing book, and I would urge anyone who cares about dogs to read it with an open heart.
Part memoir, part investigation, Kim Kavin switches easily between the pride of a new-puppy-parent and the the objectivity of a reporter, while still communicating her shock and outrage at the situation of all unwanted dogs in the country.
My only issue with the book is the author's brushing off all breeders as contributing to the overpopulation of unwanted dogs in shelters. My own personal choice to buy from a responsible breeder taught me that these individuals do play a role in keeping dogs out of shelters, by requiring that the puppies and older dogs who are sold as pets not be bred, will always take back their dogs if their people can't keep them, and in many cases also require obedience training which addresses the issue of older puppies given to shelters for behaviour problems. Many breeders also have agreements with local rescues to take in dogs of their breed who need temporary shelter.
An objective look at how common these type of breeders are, their overall impact on the problem of dogs in shelters, would have helped make the book feel more complete.
Part memoir, part investigation, Kim Kavin switches easily between the pride of a new-puppy-parent and the the objectivity of a reporter, while still communicating her shock and outrage at the situation of all unwanted dogs in the country.
My only issue with the book is the author's brushing off all breeders as contributing to the overpopulation of unwanted dogs in shelters. My own personal choice to buy from a responsible breeder taught me that these individuals do play a role in keeping dogs out of shelters, by requiring that the puppies and older dogs who are sold as pets not be bred, will always take back their dogs if their people can't keep them, and in many cases also require obedience training which addresses the issue of older puppies given to shelters for behaviour problems. Many breeders also have agreements with local rescues to take in dogs of their breed who need temporary shelter.
An objective look at how common these type of breeders are, their overall impact on the problem of dogs in shelters, would have helped make the book feel more complete.
November 7, 2016
Little Boy Blue is a book that I would definitely recommend, especially those who
adopted a dog or lived with one in every stage of their lives. After her beloved dog Floyd passed,
Kim decided to get a dog. In the search she finds her lovely dog Stella. After realizing that he
energetic pup needed a playmate, Kavin was found once again searching for a dog on
Petfinder.com, finding her little Blue. Picked him up in a parking lot from an RV.
Ever since that incident, a false “hard-to- kill skin infection” lead the initial spark for
Kavin to search Blue’s background. She realizes the life Blue was about to encounter, or more
likely to end of this life he was going to encounter. Being a last minute save from the jaws of gas
chambers of the South and an adventure to his life time, Blue is a cautious, protective and
genuinely a smart dog. As Kavin searches his background, she integrates herself to the
corporation that helped Blue.
Ever since Kavin has been a foster owner, caring and loving various dogs until families
can be found for them. For far from this publication, Kavin has fostered 25 dogs, also saved from
the South and donated money for various charities. Blue has inspired her and continues being a
source of strength.
adopted a dog or lived with one in every stage of their lives. After her beloved dog Floyd passed,
Kim decided to get a dog. In the search she finds her lovely dog Stella. After realizing that he
energetic pup needed a playmate, Kavin was found once again searching for a dog on
Petfinder.com, finding her little Blue. Picked him up in a parking lot from an RV.
Ever since that incident, a false “hard-to- kill skin infection” lead the initial spark for
Kavin to search Blue’s background. She realizes the life Blue was about to encounter, or more
likely to end of this life he was going to encounter. Being a last minute save from the jaws of gas
chambers of the South and an adventure to his life time, Blue is a cautious, protective and
genuinely a smart dog. As Kavin searches his background, she integrates herself to the
corporation that helped Blue.
Ever since Kavin has been a foster owner, caring and loving various dogs until families
can be found for them. For far from this publication, Kavin has fostered 25 dogs, also saved from
the South and donated money for various charities. Blue has inspired her and continues being a
source of strength.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2018
This book was another book about the unfortunate overpopulation and euthanization of dogs in the south. The author, adopted a dog, Blue, from a photo on a website. When she picked him up in a parking lot from a lady who had driven from the south to her in the North East, she started wondering about these tireless volunteers who rescue dogs. She also wanted to know Blue's journey to her. After calling around she went to the shelter where he was dropped off and saw the gas chamber that is used on dogs tagged to be put down. Obviously horrified, she asked the Animal Control officer how Blue escaped this fate. He said a lady came in and saw how sweet he was and tagged hime to be rescued. The author does lots of other investigations and discovers the horrors of some shelters in the south. As with the other book (Rescued) I read about rescue efforts in the south, there are some hard and sad parts to read. However, in both books it does say things are changing. Slowly, shelters' euthanization rates are dropping. I admired this author's drive to find out more information on how her dog ended up where he was.
January 6, 2013
Full disclosure: Kim and I have been friends for nearly 20 years. We've been college students and co-workers.
That said, Kim pulls together a masterful piece of journalism. She takes her personal story of finding Blue, and uses it as a launching point to examine how animal shelters and rescues work within the U.S.
She does a fabulous job of analyzing the facts and statistics. She illustrates numbers to make them relevant and realistic, easy to grab onto and understand. No one side is demonized in this book. She very carefully paints the picture of people who are trying, as best they can, to do right by these animals. The failures on the part of policy, of budget, of priorities are outlined and then filled in by detail, and there is a very realistic call to action at the end of this book.
If you are an animal lover, this book is a must-read, if only to help educate you about the realities of unwanted pets in this country. If you are a taxpayer, this book is a must-read, because your tax dollars are often used to fund shelter, animal control, and the like.
That said, Kim pulls together a masterful piece of journalism. She takes her personal story of finding Blue, and uses it as a launching point to examine how animal shelters and rescues work within the U.S.
She does a fabulous job of analyzing the facts and statistics. She illustrates numbers to make them relevant and realistic, easy to grab onto and understand. No one side is demonized in this book. She very carefully paints the picture of people who are trying, as best they can, to do right by these animals. The failures on the part of policy, of budget, of priorities are outlined and then filled in by detail, and there is a very realistic call to action at the end of this book.
If you are an animal lover, this book is a must-read, if only to help educate you about the realities of unwanted pets in this country. If you are a taxpayer, this book is a must-read, because your tax dollars are often used to fund shelter, animal control, and the like.
October 11, 2012
What a FANTASTIC book Little Boy Blue by Kim Kavin is! There is more to this book than just Kim rescuing Blue, the dog. A lot more! Her journey to find out about Blue before she got him is very interesting. I found out things that I didn't know such as if two out of four people got dogs from shelters or rescue places there would be no need to worry about dogs being killed. I also found out some things that wish didn't happen, but unfortunately, do. Be sure to read near the end of the book about Blue at puppy school--it's so good and funny!
This is a real page turner for sure. If you buy this book, a portion of the sale goes to Petfinders (which is how we found our dog, Abby). You can follow Blue on Facebook.com/Little Boy Blue Dog. I loved this book so much that I give it 5+++ stars!
(Gerard's review)
This is a real page turner for sure. If you buy this book, a portion of the sale goes to Petfinders (which is how we found our dog, Abby). You can follow Blue on Facebook.com/Little Boy Blue Dog. I loved this book so much that I give it 5+++ stars!
(Gerard's review)
January 22, 2013
We have been fostering dogs and helping with transport for about 6 years. Kavin does a great job of telling her personal story but also investigating the issues around rescue in a way that brings in different viewpoints. The book is well written and easy to read (in terms of the flow and organization), not so easy in terms of some of the content. Kavin definitely doesn't go for the big reality TV type drama but rather is a calm voice in an arena where passions run very high. I thought she did a beautiful job and would recommend this book to anyone who wants more insight into the world of rescue - warts and all. For those who are not already involved in solving the problem, it will hopefully get them motivated. I know it's made me want to help even more which is a high compliment to her work.
May 8, 2013
Having adopted an amazing dog who was rescued last year from a southern shelter and transported to Wisconsin, this book hit very close to home. To learn that over 95% of dogs die in those shelters breaks my heart. What if no one had rescued my precious dog? This is an extremely well-researched book that chronicles the modern "Underground Railroad" that is saving thousands of dogs every year by pulling them out of southern shelters and shipping them to rescue groups in the north that find loving homes for them. If I could buy a copy of this book for everyone in the US I would - this is a critically important book that exposes the tragedy of what happens to millions of pets every year. It is very hard to read at times but we all need to know what is happening and how we can help stop the senseless killing of so many dogs and cats.
Read
September 11, 2012Kim Kavin's journey to find answers is touching and heart breaking at the same time. This was an even harder book for me because I am a Person County native and knowing some of the people and places involved broke my heart. I have a rescue dog myself. He belonged to neighbors and they moved leaving him behind. I am so thankful that we took him in and he was never taken to the animal shelter because our Miles would have been one of the 95%. I really hope this book changes some policies and views of animals, especially with people from my hometown. It was reported in the news this week that they will phase out the gas chamber in Person County by 2013. I'm not sure why it will take them that long to use better practices, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
September 14, 2017
This book is like many others of its kind, exploring the dog overpopulation issue. This one is particularly well-written. Would strongly recommend it.
December 28, 2022
Amazing book!! It really delves into animal rescue and the people on both sides. Not a deep dive or anything, but a good look.
December 14, 2012
3.5 stars -- If you live in most parts of the US, chances are, you know animal shelters have improved drastically since the day of the dismal “dog pound.” Today’s shelters are, for the most part, run by decent people who try their best to get pets into new homes. They utilize everything from online social networking sites to printed newsletters to out-of-building adoption festivals to achieve the goal of more adoptions and fewer euthanasias. However, this is not the situation everywhere. Some rural shelters, especially in the Southern US, are stuck in a time circa 50 years ago when dog pounds were little more than death factories. In these facilities, stray and surrendered dogs and cats are held for the minimum amount of days required before they are pushed into another unwelcome throwback—the pound gas chamber.
Little Boy Blue is the story of a Northeastern dog owner’s quest to discover the story behind her newly-adopted rescue puppy, and the repeated shocks she receives along her journey. While Kavin is a lifelong dog lover, she makes it clear from the outset that she is not an animal activist, nor does she have any particular ax to grind. This is a refreshing change of pace from agenda-driven authors, and the book’s presentation will hopefully draw the mainstream audience necessary to start making some real changes in the homeless animal situation in the US.
Like many pet caretakers in the 21st century, Kavin discovered her new puppy on the shelter adoption hub known as Petfinder.com. She was surprised to learn that despite the puppy’s local listing, he had actually arrived on a canine “underground railroad” of sorts all the way from a tiny pound in poverty-stricken Person County, North Carolina. Intrigued, the journalist Kavin decided to visit this very pound. What she finds is grim. She meets with the shelter’s director, who is willing to speak with her about the overwhelming number of animals he takes in each day and the way most of them leave the shelter—in a gas chamber. Kavin learns that unlike in the Northeast, it simply isn’t a part of local culture to have pets altered.
There are still strays, yes, but the far bigger problem is people who fail to spay and neuter their dogs. Those people bring box after box of puppies to the shelter…
Meanwhile, the shelter’s town of Roxboro only has about 30,000 residents, and factory shutdowns ensure that they will have even fewer potential dog adopters in the coming years. Those who remain won’t always be able to afford the luxury of having a pet. Clearly, the only hope to turn of the tidal wave of unwanted animals in places like Person County is to offer spay-neuter as cheaply as possible, and be able to bring the clinic right to the doorstep of needy residents. Kavin discovers a bright spot in her tour of Person County: a heroic veterinarian who runs POP-NC, a mobile spay/neuter clinic that allows low income residents to get pets fixed for $20 per surgery.
After seeing the huge numbers of homeless pets at the shelter and learning of their most likely fate, Kavin herself has an epiphany. Although she grew up in a family which has (and continues to) buy only purebred dogs, Kavin decides:
I could no longer see the intentional breeding of more puppies for sale as pets as acceptable in any way, at least not until the killing in shelters has stopped.
Before Blue would step foot in Kavin’s home, he had to be “pulled” from the gas chamber shelter by a private rescuer. The author next sets out to track down all of the private rescuers and transporters with whom Blue passed hands before finally being adopted. And while, once again, the majority of these folks are good people, she discovers a darker side she was unprepared for. Kavin visits the home of one of Blue’s rescuers who turns out to be, in all senses of the word, a hoarder. The author is shocked to enter the filthy property of a seemingly oblivious woman who has dogs caged in every available space. She learns the hard way that not all people involved in animal “rescue” have the animals’ best interests at heart. The author also rightly worries that a rescue group could easily be used as a cover for something sinister.
[I]t’s easy to imagine a scenario in which a person establishes a rescue charity for the ultimate purpose of gaining unfiltered access to a constant stream of cheap shelter dogs. It’s also easy to imagine that person moving a handful of dogs each year into homes to keep his tax status as a charity intact, all the while selling the majority of dogs out the back door at far higher prices for pure profit.
This is particularly true when one considers just how lucrative and widespread dogfighting is in the 21st century. And there have been situations in which corrupt animal shelter officials have been accused of funneling fighting dogs and “bait” animals into the dogfighting pipeline. Some shelters are very reluctant to work with rescuers for just this reason. Kavin learns that
In California, for instance, a law had to be passed to force shelter workers to work with rescue groups that were willing and able to find homes for death-row dogs.
This sounds good in principle, except when one considers that death-row dogs in major metropolitan areas are frequently highly aggressive, and how easy it would be for the most extreme wing of the No-Kill movement to shuttle them into a fate worse than death: a hellhole like the Spindletop “sanctuary.”
The few bad apples aren’t the only worry true rescuers have, however. A well-funded movement of breeders and animal use advocates are fighting to shut down the rescue transport system for good. Their motive, as it always is in the animal-use lobby, is to protect their business. Kavin quotes a dog rescuer on this latest battle:
”But behind those legitimate concerns [about fraudulent rescues] that lawmakers have, though, are substantial lobbying dollars for breeders and pet stores. … Connecticut…just passed a law that was sponsored and written by a breeders’ association. They feel they are not selling as many purebred dogs because people in the North are starting to adopt more mutts. The pet stores and breeders feel the rescue groups are eclipsing them in, well, sales. So they are taking their lobbyists and money into the government to get these laws passed that have only to do with rescues. The one that just passed in Connecticut has a pet-store exemption. It’s that blatant.”
The author does her own research on the legislation and confirms the woman’s claims.
[Connecticut House Bill 5368] outlines how anyone who transports a dog into the state must register with the State Department of Agriculture, have each dog examined by a state-licensed veterinarian, and notify local zoning officials before offering a dog for sale, adoption, or transfer—unless the dog is being delivered to a pet shop to be sold.
Kavin is rightly disgusted.
It seemed incredible to me, the lengths to which special interests will go to ensure dogs like Blue remain mired in places where they have a 5-percent chance of survival, to protect the ability to make money off the lives of dogs and other animals.
Not mentioned in the book is that a major force behind the move to stop rescuing animals from high-kill regions is the National Animal Interest Alliance, a breeder and animal use industry lobby that is often incorrectly identified in the media as a humane organization. To mainstream audiences, they amplify worries about dog welfare and disease risks, but to their own rank-and-file, they focus upon threats to breeders’ bank accounts.
Another major focus of Little Boy Blue is not just animal rescue but the fight to remove gas chambers from our nation’s sheltering system. While nowhere near as common as they once were, these archaic devices remain in “more than forty animal control centers in the US,” the author writes. “North Carolina, where Blue was found, far and way has the most, with twenty-two.”
An animal who spends his last moments in a gas chamber has a far worse experience than one intravenously injected with Euthasol, the author writes. Although she was not permitted to personally witness a gassing at the pound she visited, the author watched videos and interviewed those who have.
Unlike lethal injections, which are designed to knock a dog unconscious before his vital organs shut down, gas chambers stop a dog’s organ function before the animal loses consciousness. Frightened dogs sometimes fight with other, impaired dogs. And in some cases, chambers can take a half hour to be fully effective. Only then do the wails end.
Needless to say, the existence of these chambers have inspired heated debate in regions where they still exist. The author notes that the American Humane Association launched a campaign in 2009 to try to extend gas chamber bans across the country. Those who know their humane history may find this a bit ironic, as the AHA was the group that introduced the even less-humane decompression chamber to kill shelter animals in 1950. Decompression chambers have not been used in any US shelter since 1985, although in 2010 the AHA renewed its support of decompression—albeit to kill chickens.
Animal rescuers who wish to transport rescued animals have their set of opponents, once again the usual suspects in the animal use industries. (Nothing seems to make fast friends like making money off animals’ lives.) Michele King, an anti-gas chamber activist, states:
“I didn’t realize how many enemies these dogs had until that bill went up in 2009…All of these state agencies opposed it. The Farm Bureau, the state Association of County Commissioners—they all fought against it because they don’t want control over animals taken out of their hands.”
The author explains:
What people like King view as enemies of dogs like Blue are actually the well-funded, well-connected lobby for influential business interests. Well more than half the beef, pork, and chicken consumed in America comes from factory farms controlled by fewer than a half dozen corporations. … Lobbyists for the companies that control factory farms don’t have any specific interests in the treatment of shelter dogs…However, big agribusiness does have an intense interest in any law that might affect the way animals can be legally confined and killed.
King continued:
“In addition to the Farm Bureau, we also came up against a bunch of groups that are friendly with the American Kennel Club…It was just so shocking. All of these hunting and breeding groups, all of them have banded together to lobby against any type of animal welfare ordinance. They see it as a slippery slope, too. … You see the names of these groups, and you think they would be on the side of the dogs, but they were not.”
Kavin is to be commended for seeing connections that less through writers often do not. When it comes to animal welfare legislation, there is truly a war on between enormous moneyed interests who want animals to remain nothing but rights-less objects of property and their considerably underfunded opponents who see animals as sentient beings deserving of some basic standards of humane care.
It’s a little-reported fact, but many of the states where gas chambers are the most prevalent are also the same states where big agribusiness and big pharmaceutical interests reign. The same lobbyists fighting to protect factory farms that keep cows, pigs, and chickens caged for their entire life spans, the same lobbyists that work for pharmaceutical firms that use animals for medical experiments, are often the same lobbyists who work behind the scenes to defeat legislation that could help save dogs like Blue from gas chambers.
Once again, this is food for thought for dog and cat lovers who buy meat from factory farms (in other words, the vast majority of Americans). Even those who don’t care about the terrible cruelty factory farmed pigs and poultry experience, should know what out-and-out pieces of shit the factory farming industry is made up of. They’re not even above lobbying on behalf of cruelty to puppies. Are these the type of people we should give more money to?
Which brings us to the author’s own diet, which she discusses in Little Boy Blue. Kavin is vastly more aware of farm animal welfare issues than the majority of pet parent crowd. For the past ten years, Kavin states, she has avoided fast-food outlets and purchased her meat from a local farm she herself visits to make sure the conditions are approvable. I commend her for taking this mindful step that 97% of Americans do not. At the same time, my mind couldn’t help by detect a hint of irony when a few pages later, while visiting the high-kill animal shelter, she opines:
I couldn’t help but note the hour and realize that a lot of the [dogs] I’d just seen would not be breathing at this time tomorrow.
Even animals at free-range farms must be slaughtered at USDA-certified facilities, which are no picnic for the animals. And domestic farm animals are just as much individuals and subjects-of-a life as a roomful of dogs and cats. They don’t want to be killed any more than a companion animal does.
In many shelters, the face of the homeless dog has gone from the sad-eyed Heinz 57 puppy to the scarred muzzle of a full-grown and unsocialized pit bull terrier. While Kavin acknowledges that “a good number of the people involved feel so strongly about saving every dog’s life that they will give some dogs a behavioral benefit of the doubt that is unwarranted,” she neatly sidesteps the elephant (fighting dog?) in the room. She presents without commentary the claim of a dog rescuer in the Northeast who states, “In the shelters up here, all you find are pit bulls from the inner cities. They’re not likely to be adopted because so many people are unfairly biased against the breed.” Later, she profiles Northeast Animal Shelter’s model programs for rescuing pets and getting them into new homes, which must by necessity exclude unadoptable animals:
She cannot, for instance, take a dog who has bitten a child in the face. It’s not a dog who can be adopted back into the community safely, so it is not a dog Northeast Animal Shelter will accept into its program. Other dogs who are routinely denied include pit bulls, since they are so difficult to place with families because of stereotypes about the breed.
Stereotypes? Biased? Or maybe, a majority of dog owners simply do not wish to take on the potential problems of a breed that was created for, and continues to be bred for, the purpose of killing other dogs. Or that many shelters do not want and cannot afford the liability of adopting out a dog who is most likely to have severely bitten that child.
Ironically, the author may confirm some of this reluctance to adopt fighting breeds when she writes of her own experience with her pit bull mix, Stella. Falsely advertised as a Labrador mix, Stella grew from a cute puppy into “a sixty-pound alpha female with aggression tendencies that would require a $100-per-hour private trainer for us to learn how to manage.” Like most adult pit bulls, she was dog-aggressive, and when Kavin went looking for a new puppy, she had to find the perfectly submissive companion for Stella, “lest she turn him into a chew toy.” Throughout the text, Kavin alternately describes Stella as “an all-star linebacker living in a world filled with powder-puff cheerleaders;” an “Ultimate Fighter going for the title at a pay-per-view main event;” and a “wonderful alpha menace.” These dogs are clearly not for all or even most everyday dog owners. Shelters and dog rescuers: Why create more tragedies by falsely advertising who and what they are?
Ironically, the far more amiable Blue, a Heinz 57 of a dog who looks something like a brindled beagle, was also advertised as that water-loving retriever. “Blue was no more Labrador than Stella,” the author writes, despite their similar advertisements by rescue groups. Blue may have even had a bit of pit blood in him, but it was diluted enough that he sported the gregarious hound personality. Perhaps it was better for all involved when Stella remained in the custody of Kavin’s husband after their split, which must have certainly helped the situation when Kavin began to foster other dogs on their journey to a forever home.
Kavin would have done all dogs a service if she had applied the lessons she learned at the North Carolina shelters to the Northeast ones crammed with pit bulls: aggressive and mandated spay/neuter, not the same old stories about breed stereotypes, is what these dogs truly need to turn the tide of killing.
Little Boy Blue is the story of a Northeastern dog owner’s quest to discover the story behind her newly-adopted rescue puppy, and the repeated shocks she receives along her journey. While Kavin is a lifelong dog lover, she makes it clear from the outset that she is not an animal activist, nor does she have any particular ax to grind. This is a refreshing change of pace from agenda-driven authors, and the book’s presentation will hopefully draw the mainstream audience necessary to start making some real changes in the homeless animal situation in the US.
Like many pet caretakers in the 21st century, Kavin discovered her new puppy on the shelter adoption hub known as Petfinder.com. She was surprised to learn that despite the puppy’s local listing, he had actually arrived on a canine “underground railroad” of sorts all the way from a tiny pound in poverty-stricken Person County, North Carolina. Intrigued, the journalist Kavin decided to visit this very pound. What she finds is grim. She meets with the shelter’s director, who is willing to speak with her about the overwhelming number of animals he takes in each day and the way most of them leave the shelter—in a gas chamber. Kavin learns that unlike in the Northeast, it simply isn’t a part of local culture to have pets altered.
There are still strays, yes, but the far bigger problem is people who fail to spay and neuter their dogs. Those people bring box after box of puppies to the shelter…
Meanwhile, the shelter’s town of Roxboro only has about 30,000 residents, and factory shutdowns ensure that they will have even fewer potential dog adopters in the coming years. Those who remain won’t always be able to afford the luxury of having a pet. Clearly, the only hope to turn of the tidal wave of unwanted animals in places like Person County is to offer spay-neuter as cheaply as possible, and be able to bring the clinic right to the doorstep of needy residents. Kavin discovers a bright spot in her tour of Person County: a heroic veterinarian who runs POP-NC, a mobile spay/neuter clinic that allows low income residents to get pets fixed for $20 per surgery.
After seeing the huge numbers of homeless pets at the shelter and learning of their most likely fate, Kavin herself has an epiphany. Although she grew up in a family which has (and continues to) buy only purebred dogs, Kavin decides:
I could no longer see the intentional breeding of more puppies for sale as pets as acceptable in any way, at least not until the killing in shelters has stopped.
Before Blue would step foot in Kavin’s home, he had to be “pulled” from the gas chamber shelter by a private rescuer. The author next sets out to track down all of the private rescuers and transporters with whom Blue passed hands before finally being adopted. And while, once again, the majority of these folks are good people, she discovers a darker side she was unprepared for. Kavin visits the home of one of Blue’s rescuers who turns out to be, in all senses of the word, a hoarder. The author is shocked to enter the filthy property of a seemingly oblivious woman who has dogs caged in every available space. She learns the hard way that not all people involved in animal “rescue” have the animals’ best interests at heart. The author also rightly worries that a rescue group could easily be used as a cover for something sinister.
[I]t’s easy to imagine a scenario in which a person establishes a rescue charity for the ultimate purpose of gaining unfiltered access to a constant stream of cheap shelter dogs. It’s also easy to imagine that person moving a handful of dogs each year into homes to keep his tax status as a charity intact, all the while selling the majority of dogs out the back door at far higher prices for pure profit.
This is particularly true when one considers just how lucrative and widespread dogfighting is in the 21st century. And there have been situations in which corrupt animal shelter officials have been accused of funneling fighting dogs and “bait” animals into the dogfighting pipeline. Some shelters are very reluctant to work with rescuers for just this reason. Kavin learns that
In California, for instance, a law had to be passed to force shelter workers to work with rescue groups that were willing and able to find homes for death-row dogs.
This sounds good in principle, except when one considers that death-row dogs in major metropolitan areas are frequently highly aggressive, and how easy it would be for the most extreme wing of the No-Kill movement to shuttle them into a fate worse than death: a hellhole like the Spindletop “sanctuary.”
The few bad apples aren’t the only worry true rescuers have, however. A well-funded movement of breeders and animal use advocates are fighting to shut down the rescue transport system for good. Their motive, as it always is in the animal-use lobby, is to protect their business. Kavin quotes a dog rescuer on this latest battle:
”But behind those legitimate concerns [about fraudulent rescues] that lawmakers have, though, are substantial lobbying dollars for breeders and pet stores. … Connecticut…just passed a law that was sponsored and written by a breeders’ association. They feel they are not selling as many purebred dogs because people in the North are starting to adopt more mutts. The pet stores and breeders feel the rescue groups are eclipsing them in, well, sales. So they are taking their lobbyists and money into the government to get these laws passed that have only to do with rescues. The one that just passed in Connecticut has a pet-store exemption. It’s that blatant.”
The author does her own research on the legislation and confirms the woman’s claims.
[Connecticut House Bill 5368] outlines how anyone who transports a dog into the state must register with the State Department of Agriculture, have each dog examined by a state-licensed veterinarian, and notify local zoning officials before offering a dog for sale, adoption, or transfer—unless the dog is being delivered to a pet shop to be sold.
Kavin is rightly disgusted.
It seemed incredible to me, the lengths to which special interests will go to ensure dogs like Blue remain mired in places where they have a 5-percent chance of survival, to protect the ability to make money off the lives of dogs and other animals.
Not mentioned in the book is that a major force behind the move to stop rescuing animals from high-kill regions is the National Animal Interest Alliance, a breeder and animal use industry lobby that is often incorrectly identified in the media as a humane organization. To mainstream audiences, they amplify worries about dog welfare and disease risks, but to their own rank-and-file, they focus upon threats to breeders’ bank accounts.
Another major focus of Little Boy Blue is not just animal rescue but the fight to remove gas chambers from our nation’s sheltering system. While nowhere near as common as they once were, these archaic devices remain in “more than forty animal control centers in the US,” the author writes. “North Carolina, where Blue was found, far and way has the most, with twenty-two.”
An animal who spends his last moments in a gas chamber has a far worse experience than one intravenously injected with Euthasol, the author writes. Although she was not permitted to personally witness a gassing at the pound she visited, the author watched videos and interviewed those who have.
Unlike lethal injections, which are designed to knock a dog unconscious before his vital organs shut down, gas chambers stop a dog’s organ function before the animal loses consciousness. Frightened dogs sometimes fight with other, impaired dogs. And in some cases, chambers can take a half hour to be fully effective. Only then do the wails end.
Needless to say, the existence of these chambers have inspired heated debate in regions where they still exist. The author notes that the American Humane Association launched a campaign in 2009 to try to extend gas chamber bans across the country. Those who know their humane history may find this a bit ironic, as the AHA was the group that introduced the even less-humane decompression chamber to kill shelter animals in 1950. Decompression chambers have not been used in any US shelter since 1985, although in 2010 the AHA renewed its support of decompression—albeit to kill chickens.
Animal rescuers who wish to transport rescued animals have their set of opponents, once again the usual suspects in the animal use industries. (Nothing seems to make fast friends like making money off animals’ lives.) Michele King, an anti-gas chamber activist, states:
“I didn’t realize how many enemies these dogs had until that bill went up in 2009…All of these state agencies opposed it. The Farm Bureau, the state Association of County Commissioners—they all fought against it because they don’t want control over animals taken out of their hands.”
The author explains:
What people like King view as enemies of dogs like Blue are actually the well-funded, well-connected lobby for influential business interests. Well more than half the beef, pork, and chicken consumed in America comes from factory farms controlled by fewer than a half dozen corporations. … Lobbyists for the companies that control factory farms don’t have any specific interests in the treatment of shelter dogs…However, big agribusiness does have an intense interest in any law that might affect the way animals can be legally confined and killed.
King continued:
“In addition to the Farm Bureau, we also came up against a bunch of groups that are friendly with the American Kennel Club…It was just so shocking. All of these hunting and breeding groups, all of them have banded together to lobby against any type of animal welfare ordinance. They see it as a slippery slope, too. … You see the names of these groups, and you think they would be on the side of the dogs, but they were not.”
Kavin is to be commended for seeing connections that less through writers often do not. When it comes to animal welfare legislation, there is truly a war on between enormous moneyed interests who want animals to remain nothing but rights-less objects of property and their considerably underfunded opponents who see animals as sentient beings deserving of some basic standards of humane care.
It’s a little-reported fact, but many of the states where gas chambers are the most prevalent are also the same states where big agribusiness and big pharmaceutical interests reign. The same lobbyists fighting to protect factory farms that keep cows, pigs, and chickens caged for their entire life spans, the same lobbyists that work for pharmaceutical firms that use animals for medical experiments, are often the same lobbyists who work behind the scenes to defeat legislation that could help save dogs like Blue from gas chambers.
Once again, this is food for thought for dog and cat lovers who buy meat from factory farms (in other words, the vast majority of Americans). Even those who don’t care about the terrible cruelty factory farmed pigs and poultry experience, should know what out-and-out pieces of shit the factory farming industry is made up of. They’re not even above lobbying on behalf of cruelty to puppies. Are these the type of people we should give more money to?
Which brings us to the author’s own diet, which she discusses in Little Boy Blue. Kavin is vastly more aware of farm animal welfare issues than the majority of pet parent crowd. For the past ten years, Kavin states, she has avoided fast-food outlets and purchased her meat from a local farm she herself visits to make sure the conditions are approvable. I commend her for taking this mindful step that 97% of Americans do not. At the same time, my mind couldn’t help by detect a hint of irony when a few pages later, while visiting the high-kill animal shelter, she opines:
I couldn’t help but note the hour and realize that a lot of the [dogs] I’d just seen would not be breathing at this time tomorrow.
Even animals at free-range farms must be slaughtered at USDA-certified facilities, which are no picnic for the animals. And domestic farm animals are just as much individuals and subjects-of-a life as a roomful of dogs and cats. They don’t want to be killed any more than a companion animal does.
In many shelters, the face of the homeless dog has gone from the sad-eyed Heinz 57 puppy to the scarred muzzle of a full-grown and unsocialized pit bull terrier. While Kavin acknowledges that “a good number of the people involved feel so strongly about saving every dog’s life that they will give some dogs a behavioral benefit of the doubt that is unwarranted,” she neatly sidesteps the elephant (fighting dog?) in the room. She presents without commentary the claim of a dog rescuer in the Northeast who states, “In the shelters up here, all you find are pit bulls from the inner cities. They’re not likely to be adopted because so many people are unfairly biased against the breed.” Later, she profiles Northeast Animal Shelter’s model programs for rescuing pets and getting them into new homes, which must by necessity exclude unadoptable animals:
She cannot, for instance, take a dog who has bitten a child in the face. It’s not a dog who can be adopted back into the community safely, so it is not a dog Northeast Animal Shelter will accept into its program. Other dogs who are routinely denied include pit bulls, since they are so difficult to place with families because of stereotypes about the breed.
Stereotypes? Biased? Or maybe, a majority of dog owners simply do not wish to take on the potential problems of a breed that was created for, and continues to be bred for, the purpose of killing other dogs. Or that many shelters do not want and cannot afford the liability of adopting out a dog who is most likely to have severely bitten that child.
Ironically, the author may confirm some of this reluctance to adopt fighting breeds when she writes of her own experience with her pit bull mix, Stella. Falsely advertised as a Labrador mix, Stella grew from a cute puppy into “a sixty-pound alpha female with aggression tendencies that would require a $100-per-hour private trainer for us to learn how to manage.” Like most adult pit bulls, she was dog-aggressive, and when Kavin went looking for a new puppy, she had to find the perfectly submissive companion for Stella, “lest she turn him into a chew toy.” Throughout the text, Kavin alternately describes Stella as “an all-star linebacker living in a world filled with powder-puff cheerleaders;” an “Ultimate Fighter going for the title at a pay-per-view main event;” and a “wonderful alpha menace.” These dogs are clearly not for all or even most everyday dog owners. Shelters and dog rescuers: Why create more tragedies by falsely advertising who and what they are?
Ironically, the far more amiable Blue, a Heinz 57 of a dog who looks something like a brindled beagle, was also advertised as that water-loving retriever. “Blue was no more Labrador than Stella,” the author writes, despite their similar advertisements by rescue groups. Blue may have even had a bit of pit blood in him, but it was diluted enough that he sported the gregarious hound personality. Perhaps it was better for all involved when Stella remained in the custody of Kavin’s husband after their split, which must have certainly helped the situation when Kavin began to foster other dogs on their journey to a forever home.
Kavin would have done all dogs a service if she had applied the lessons she learned at the North Carolina shelters to the Northeast ones crammed with pit bulls: aggressive and mandated spay/neuter, not the same old stories about breed stereotypes, is what these dogs truly need to turn the tide of killing.
April 1, 2025
Absolutely a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about dog rescue!
I've read a lot of books on this topic and no other book comes close to this. Kim Kavin presents so much information about so many aspects of dog rescue in America. Every chapter was almost its own book in how the author would dive into yet aspect of dog rescue, yet she tied them all together beautifully, all as part of the story of she got her own rescue dog Blue and then traced back where he came from.
Yes, there are some sections of "Little Boy Blue" that are completely heart-crushing to read and imagine, but the author did such a perfect job of including those along with the elements of her investigating her dog's origins and learning (and then teaching readers) so much about dog rescue.
A great balance of information about dog rescue and an unbelievably well-written story with all the emotional ups and downs that come with our relationships with dogs.
I've read a lot of books on this topic and no other book comes close to this. Kim Kavin presents so much information about so many aspects of dog rescue in America. Every chapter was almost its own book in how the author would dive into yet aspect of dog rescue, yet she tied them all together beautifully, all as part of the story of she got her own rescue dog Blue and then traced back where he came from.
Yes, there are some sections of "Little Boy Blue" that are completely heart-crushing to read and imagine, but the author did such a perfect job of including those along with the elements of her investigating her dog's origins and learning (and then teaching readers) so much about dog rescue.
A great balance of information about dog rescue and an unbelievably well-written story with all the emotional ups and downs that come with our relationships with dogs.
October 9, 2021
I believe in giving one dignity when they die is a wonderful and it goes for all creatures in this world, not just humans. Euthenasia is one way to do just that. Putting "unadoptable" dogs or cats into a gas chamber similar to what was done in Germany during Hitler is just wrong, sickening and gross. If a dog or cat is too ill or too old that it can't take care of itself (eating, drinking, walking, etc) than it may be a mercy to put them down. I have had personal experience with it, numerous times, and while I don't like it, it is a necessity when the time comes to say goodbye and ease the pain and suffering of your "child".
I didn't really care for the focus Ms Kavin had on that "shelter" in North Carolina, it was one of those necessary evils and had me appreciating her all the more.
I didn't really care for the focus Ms Kavin had on that "shelter" in North Carolina, it was one of those necessary evils and had me appreciating her all the more.
November 17, 2019
A very well researched book with shocking statistics on the killing of shelter animals in the US. Some shelters continue to use gas chambers which appear to be very in humane. Well worth the read and keep the Kleenex handy!
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