Dead Dog Road: A True Story Into the Dark World of an Abused Child

by Diane Black

IN A SMALL TEXAS TOWN, THE DIRECTOR OF A CHILDREN’S HOME TRIES TO SAVE THREE ADOPTED RUSSIAN CHILDREN LIVING WITH A SADISTIC WOMAN IN THE BACKWOODS OF CANEY HEAD.

A heart-stopping story that highlights the failure of the agencies we trust to protect the most vulnerable among us—and a truth more compelling and powerful than we could imagine. Abuse reports from neighbors draw attention to twelve-year-old Alexey who runs away to hide in the woods. The local child protection agency sends the director of the children’s home to visit Alexey and his younger sisters, Anastasia and Svetlana. But despite her compelling report the agency believes the denials of the adoptive mother and leaves the children in the abusive home. Knowing the horrible truth, the director faces one obstacle after another as she tries to find someone to protect the children from the unspeakable.

Dead Dog Road—a place where secrets are buried like the injured fighting dogs who are dumped there.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

320 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2024

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a case that is way beyond kids falling through the cracks of CPS and social worker. It's is downright appalling to read about so many people, including law enforcement, that let's these poor kids down.
The lengths that the author goes to to help is kids is absolutely amazing. She risked so much.

[Gales Tales70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN A SMALL TEXAS TOWN, THE DIRECTOR OF A CHILDREN’S HOME TRIES TO SAVE THREE ADOPTED RUSSIAN CHILDREN LIVING WITH A SADISTIC WOMAN IN THE BACKWOODS OF CANEY HEAD

A heart-stopping story that highlights the failure of the agencies we trust to protect the most vulnerable among us—and a truth more compelling and powerful than we could imagine. Abuse reports from neighbors draw attention to twelve-year-old Alexey who runs away to hide in the woods. The local child protection agency sends the director of the children’s home to visit Alexey and his younger sisters, Anastasia and Svetlana. But despite her compelling report the agency believes the denials of the adoptive mother and leaves the children in the abusive home. Knowing the horrible truth, the director faces one obstacle after another as she tries to find someone to protect the children from the unspeakable.

Dead Dog Road—a place where secrets are buried like the injured fighting dogs who are dumped there.

What a heart wrenching true story of abuse and a system that fails abused and neglected children. Diane did everything she could to help the children but with the system so corrupt she didn’t stand a chance. You need to read it to find out what happened.

I was gripped by this story and read it in one sitting

Trigger warnings but highly recommend

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eye opening work that details the failures of our legal and family protective services systems. The author takes a difficult topic and sheds light on aspects of human behavior that often remain hidden.

The reader will experience moments of excitement about the founding of the Roosevelt House, heartbreak for the children in the story, anger about the limitations put on teachers, counselors, and neighbors who wanted to help, and excitement cheering for the underdogs to break the cycle. This one is an emotional roller coaster.

I am thankful the author shared her story. It would make a great movie to bring more awareness to the failures and weaknesses of the systems designed to protect children from abuse.

[Jessica Hataway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could no put it down!

[Michelle Tuite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading 2024
Book 267: Dead Dog Road by Diane N. Black

This book was recommended by a friend, grabbed it on Kindle Unlimited. Dead Dog Road is nonfiction.

Synopsis: In a small Texas town, the director of a children’s home tries to save three adopted Russian children living with a sadistic woman in the backwoods of Caney Head.

Review: WOW! I could not put this book down and stayed up late nights trying to finish it. I needed to get to the end of the story and see how it all played out. This book is not for the faint of heart. Lots of child abuse and govt. agency failures. Dead Dog Road just seemed to stop, not really end. There is a feeling during the whole book that there was going to be a big secret reveal, some conspiracy that allowed two people who had no business adopting to adopt kids from Russia without any means. It was just me, there wasn’t any big secret. I was hoping for a bit more from the author’s note, maybe some tidbits from current life. Definitely recommend to the right reader. My rating 4⭐️.

[Kelly Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, had been on my list for quite some time. The story took place not far from where I live at.

[Ellie Pretsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Black Flower Press and the author for an ARC of this book.

I gobbled up this book. The entire story is as engrossing as the premise. Your heart goes out the the children and the director of the children’s home that fights endlessly to rescue them. This book is a good look into how broken our child protection systems are and what it looks like when children falls through the crakes which happens which happens with unfortunate frequency.

This book has you continually asking how abusive individuals aren’t facing justice for their crimes and how many times children must bear the consequences of inaction. Reading this story made me feel the full gamut of emotions from high highs and low lows to being indescribably angry.

This book seeps into multiple genres as a true crime and narrative nonfiction with the feel of a memoir. Fantastically well written, you will be enrapt from the start.

[Joseph Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening, riveting, heartbreaking

I could not stop reading this book. I found myself losing sleep, needing to know everything. I'm not a religious person, but bless you Diane Black - you are an incredible inspiration, and a talented chronicler of events. You've brought to light the things these truly indecent people tried to keep hidden, and not only are you once of the decent ones, you're now one of my personal heroes. If I were your daughter, I would worship you. To anyone who hasn't yet, you will not regret reading this book. It can be difficult to process, but child abuse is far too often swept under the rug, and many children who live through it grow to be adults with a deep sadness in their hearts that almost nothing can touch. Despite its disturbing subject matter, this book was like a light shining into that dark place inside me. Beautifully written, there is bravery here that goes beyond any fictional superhero story ever told.

[Janiece Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book hit a nerve for many reasons. 1. I have lived in the area the book was written about my whole life 2. I am a teacher protector and advocate for children. I am still asking the question why did cps and the sheriffs office not do anything about this? I have asked it several times through the years because of my own observations but this just shows the system is broken. I am heartbroken to think the one agency that is supposed to protect children is exploiting them and the abusers go unpunished!! Thank you for sharing your story, and I can only pray more people will read about it and ask questions and demand change for the children who don’t have a voice.

[kateryne lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard of this book through a podcast called “suffer the children” Diane black was interviewed and i immediately knew i needed to read this. It’s absolutely mind boggling that so many people decided to be blinded. Diane is a role model and exemplary example of how people should fight for whats right in the world. Unfortunately she had to go through some pretty rough situations. She gives humanity hope. She is such an inspiration and i wish her all the healing and peace. Thank you for your determination and sacrifice.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

Diane Black has written a thoughtful and compassionate book.

Because of her tenacity, altruism and sacrifices she was able to assist these children.

The world needs more people like Diane in it. Thank you Diane for writing this book and bringing attention to so many disturbing agency ignorances and failures.

#DEADDOGROAD
#NetGalley #goodreads

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on edge from the very beginning. Hearing stories of child abuse can be hard but the dedication of Diane to save those children and risked it all truly shows we need more people like her in this world.

This book highlights the failures in systems that were set up to protect our children. This heartbreaking true story is highly recommended!

[Carissa Pellerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop reading!!!
Absolutely incredible true story beautifully written..The twists and turns are mesmerizing!!!
It’s definitely a MUST READ!!!!!
Thank you to Net gallery and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review…….

[Jennifer Tomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words

This book is chilling and so sad. Being from the small town where this took place and knowing the kids and the parents is so unreal. Diane does a fantastic job of telling the kids’ story and her story.

[Jan Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartbreaking

This is an excellent book. It makes you feel so many emotions at once. The story is riveting and disturbing. I still do not understand how this could happen. The level of ignorance and corruption of the officials involved is shocking!

[Debbie Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

eye opening facts

Informative, yet extremely sad, reading. Abuse should never be tolerated or dismissed, especially where children or elderly are concerned. This story is told in an interesting way.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

A truly heartbreaking story told beautifully and respectfully by Black. Her passion for the children in her story is admirable and incredible. As a child, I wish I had had her on my side.

[Kelsi Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was absolutely gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and eye opening.

thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

[Debbie Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard book to read, but a story that needed to be told and I pray it opens many eyes & hearts.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible

I could not put it down! Stayed up all night to finish it. I highly recommend this book! Best one I’ve read in ages.

[Jo Ann Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a great read

Heartbreaking! Definitely need to read!! Sad this hits close to home! Makes you wonder about the people who are supposed to be there to help the children!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

True to the area and setting

I live in Southeast Texas. Local CPS was as described during this time frame. I could not put this book down. This story will break your heart.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started, I couldn’t put the book down because I had to know what happens next. It’s a heartbreaking story but I highly recommend

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childre Should Be Listened to And Have a Voice
Dead Dog Road by Diane Black is the True Story of a counsellor whose determination to set up Roosevelt House and the surprising way the help that comes pouring in from unexpected quarters is heartening, and a reminder of human decency.
Diane recounts her time running a Texas children’s home, focusing on one case involving three Russian children. Dianes life takes an unexpected turn, starting with a simple request from Child Protective Services to perform a psychosocial evaluation on a father and his adopted children in a nearby town. When Diane hears the story of horrific abuse from Alexey Diane promises she will do everything she can to help the three children.
Diane finds she is up against a systematic failure in Texas that resulted in the child welfare system returning the children repeatedly to their abusive home but Diane refuses to back down when times get bad as she remains steadfast in helping the children. This story is the heart retching true story of abuse, a system that failed children and the sincere account of one woman’s determination to save all three children from abuse. Diane tried diverse ways to help these children but, they fell through the cracks!
My heart broke whilst reading the tragic stories of these children and the tears ran down my face. This book is a gripping read and the illuminating story is frequently uplifting, as neither Black nor Alexey surrender. In this book there are plenty of warning signs and it is incredibly sad that even today with everyone being alerted to these tragedies on the news, people still do not feel children should be listened to and have a voice. This book is professionally written, and it is good to know there are good people out there.  Thank you for sharing your story. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elena Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Dog Road: A True Story Into the Dark World of an Abused Child by Diane Black is a harrowing and deeply consequential work of narrative nonfiction that exposes both personal cruelty and systemic failure.

Set in a small Texas community near Caney Head, the book centers on three adopted Russian children Alexey, Anastasia, and Svetlana trapped in an abusive home. What elevates this account beyond a tragic case study is its focus on institutional breakdown. Abuse reports surface. Neighbors notice warning signs. A children’s home director conducts a compelling investigation. Yet the child protection agency ultimately chooses to accept the adoptive mother’s denials, leaving the children in danger.

The emotional anchor of the book is twelve-year-old Alexey, who runs away and hides in the woods to escape the violence. Black renders his fear and isolation with stark clarity, making the stakes painfully real. The title itself Dead Dog Road becomes a haunting metaphor: a place where injured fighting dogs are discarded, and where, symbolically, secrets and suffering are buried.

The narrative tension comes not only from the abuse but from the bureaucratic obstacles faced by the director determined to intervene. Readers witness the exhausting uphill battle against red tape, disbelief, and institutional inertia. This layered approach combining investigative rigor with emotional storytelling places the book firmly within the true crime genre while also making it a social justice exposé.

At 320 pages, Dead Dog Road will resonate with readers of true crime, child advocacy narratives, and investigative nonfiction. It is both a gripping account of resilience and a sobering indictment of the systems meant to safeguard the vulnerable.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking story, a devastating reality for many children. There are agencies that many parents fear but for the ones that need the agencies the most they seem to fall through the cracks. When most people hear stories about children who are adopted from other countries, usually it is seen as an ultimate act of sacrifice for the person to spend money and to want to try to help children in other countries that are less fortunate. However, these three children were adopted from Russia and they were adopted by a sadistic woman. As soon as these children arrived home they spoke Russian and she slapped them in the face and told them never to speak Russian again. These were children and they did not have a choice to come and did not understand. Then when the boy tried to run away and hid under a house the sheriff's office took him back to the home he was abused in! While there are so many reports child protective services still believe the adoptive mother's account of events and the denial of any abuse, they leave the children there.
However, while under the investigation there was a director from a children's home who spoke to the children and tried to help these kids from unspeakable acts but she is met with a series of brick walls. The director tried different ways to help these children but ultimately they fell through the cracks! This is a heart-wrenching story that shows just how children can fall through the cracks of different agencies and how people can literally get away with it! Thank you Black Flower Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this one!

[Merissa MacLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Dead Dog Road by Diane Black, and it left me absolutely shaken. It’s a harrowing story about her years running a group home for children and the events that unfolded when she tried to save three abused Russian children. Over many years, she fought tirelessly to protect them while confronting the deep systemic issues and barriers within the system that continually failed these kids. Despite countless reports from neighbors, teachers, and counselors to Child Protective Services and authorities, nothing changed. In the end, her determination to do the right thing led to her own arrest and the collapse of her career.

One of the children, Alexey, the child who experienced the most severe abuse ran away countless times in desperate attempts to escape the abuse. Hearing the stories of what he endured would move anyone with even half a heart to help. The book is gut-wrenching, and deeply moving, it shows both Alexey’s courage and pain as a child victim of abuse, and Diane’s unwavering resolve and heartbreak as someone trying to save him within a system seemingly designed to work against them both.

Dead Dog Road is a beautifully written yet devastating account of compassion, injustice, and the human cost of a system that too often looks away. Truly mind-blowing.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a signed paperback copy of the book from a goodreads giveaway.

I don't remember ever reading a book about children who were abused before. And I have never given to much thought to how good a job child protective services does. I assumed they did a good job on ever case I suppose. I suppose I thought that children never got abused that much.

On fact in the book that I did find interesting is was the first child who was removed from her home because of abuse in 1870s New York. I never gave any thought to how abused children in the time before agencies like cps got away from their abusers. I suppose I thought that CPS always existed.

I thought Dead dog Road was a well written book talking about Diane Blacks life as well as the lives of the children who were abused who she tried to get help for. I also liked the pictures of the children when they were older at the end of the book.

After reading dead dog road I felt sad that people would treat their kids so badly and that it took so long for them to get the help they so clearly wanted and needed. Hopefully things will get better for children who live in abusive homes.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was hard for me.
I liked the tenacity of the author, trying different ways of trying to help the three adopted siblings.

However, I did feel that she broke the law by not reporting the children's whereabouts. I could understand why the sheriff and CPS were concerned with her actions.

I thought that the book was really bogged down by the author continuing to say that her home life was pretty perfect, her daughters the best, normal kids. This happened almost every other chapter.

The ending was ok, but I felt like a large piece of the story was missing. Why did the Deckerts get the kids from Russia. Did the Deckerts face ANY kind of repercussions for their child abuse? Where are the Deckerts now?

I was left wanting to know more but also kind of done reading about the author.

Overall I struggled with this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

[Debbie Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I read it because it's true and happened in our area, but I wasn't prepared for the anger it would bring up in me. As a homeschooling parent who taught my kids at home back when we still feared CPS would show up on the doorstep, this story makes me even more disgusted with how useless that organization is. How does a white trash, disgusting home with a psychotic set of parents, adopt 3 more children? How can there be notebooks full of testimonies of the abuse and yet the Hardin county sheriff's department, judges, CPS workers and a handful of other "important" people keep sending those kids back to the trash? Thank God for Diane Black, who endured so much to try and save those kids. If you read this book, be prepared to be angry and be prepared to look at the "authorities" a little bit differently. They may be in charge, but that doesn't mean they always know what the heck they're doing. Especially CPS.