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USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do
USA Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do
A hilarious and eye-opening tour of America’s states—one barking mad, bone-laced, paw-approved policy at a time.
In a country where dogs wear designer raincoats, attend therapy sessions, and sometimes enjoy better healthcare than humans, one outsider embarks on a state-by-state journey through America’s canine obsession.
From Alabama’s truck-riding hounds to Washington D.C.’s politically connected pups, this satirical travelogue explores a nation where dogs aren’t just pets—they’re privileged citizens with Instagram accounts, artisanal diets, and bedrooms in houses they didn’t help pay for.
With sharp wit and genuine affection, the author uncovers how America’s treatment of dogs reveals deeper truths about our values, regional quirks, and national identity. Whether it’s California’s canine movie stars, Colorado’s mountain-summiting mutts, or New York’s pampered pups with better real estate than most Millennials, these four-legged Americans live lives that would make most humans jealous.
Part cultural commentary, part loving mockery—and entirely entertaining—this cross-country romp proves that understanding America might be as simple as seeing who gets shotgun on the road trip.
Perfect for dog lovers , wanderlusters, and anyone curious why we treat our pets like royalty while barely managing our own lives.
“I didn’t grow up where dogs wore sweaters or had birthday cakes. Then I moved to America—and discovered fifty ways to treat a dog better than a person.”
Book 2 in the “USA The Land with At Least 50 Options” series.
A hilarious and eye-opening tour of America’s states—one barking mad, bone-laced, paw-approved policy at a time.
In a country where dogs wear designer raincoats, attend therapy sessions, and sometimes enjoy better healthcare than humans, one outsider embarks on a state-by-state journey through America’s canine obsession.
From Alabama’s truck-riding hounds to Washington D.C.’s politically connected pups, this satirical travelogue explores a nation where dogs aren’t just pets—they’re privileged citizens with Instagram accounts, artisanal diets, and bedrooms in houses they didn’t help pay for.
With sharp wit and genuine affection, the author uncovers how America’s treatment of dogs reveals deeper truths about our values, regional quirks, and national identity. Whether it’s California’s canine movie stars, Colorado’s mountain-summiting mutts, or New York’s pampered pups with better real estate than most Millennials, these four-legged Americans live lives that would make most humans jealous.
Part cultural commentary, part loving mockery—and entirely entertaining—this cross-country romp proves that understanding America might be as simple as seeing who gets shotgun on the road trip.
Perfect for dog lovers , wanderlusters, and anyone curious why we treat our pets like royalty while barely managing our own lives.
“I didn’t grow up where dogs wore sweaters or had birthday cakes. Then I moved to America—and discovered fifty ways to treat a dog better than a person.”
Book 2 in the “USA The Land with At Least 50 Options” series.
- GenresHumorNonfictionSatire
Audible Audio
Published June 17, 2025
7 people are currently reading
4197 people want to read
About the author
Robert Okine
3 books29 followersRobert Okine is a keen observer of everyday life, fascinated by the quirks that make people—and places—uniquely human.
With a sharp sense of humor and a love for detail, he writes to explore, laugh, and make readers think twice about the world around them.
USA The Land With At Least 50 Options™ is his debut book in a growing series that mixes social commentary with travel, culture, and satire—served one grocery aisle at a time.
With a sharp sense of humor and a love for detail, he writes to explore, laugh, and make readers think twice about the world around them.
USA The Land With At Least 50 Options™ is his debut book in a growing series that mixes social commentary with travel, culture, and satire—served one grocery aisle at a time.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 19, 2025
I’m not sure what I expected from a book about the 50 states as dogs, but I did expect a little more. Although presented with jest, this book characterizes the dogs in each state by the stereotypes associated with those states to their extreme. I’m not sure if my expectations were off in thinking this would be more researched or that the writing would be more accurate (the author describes dogs tapping their feet to the beat of music, for instance). I don’t think I’m the target audience for this!
August 15, 2025
This book was very fun to read. I enjoyed all the different states perspectives on how dogs live. With myself being a dog lover and living with an freeloading giant of a great dane, I loved every chapter. Thank you to Robert Okine for the signed copy. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
September 7, 2025
It wasn't what I expected. A list of the 50 states and interesting facts about dog ownership laws and quirks of the culture. Would be a great stocking stuffer for the dog fan in your life. Maybe a good book to leave in the WC or waiting room.
August 27, 2025
Creative, informative, and a fun read.
January 24, 2026
This was a quick but unsettling read that pushed me to think about how power justice and priorities really function in the U.S. Some of the comparisons were clearly meant to be uncomfortable and they did their job. I didn’t agree with every point but it made me question rights accountability and who the system actually favors. Short thought provoking and definitely a conversation starter.
September 3, 2025
Robert Okine has written a witty, keen-eyed book that manages to be both lighthearted and revealing. With dogs as his lens, he takes readers across all fifty states (plus Washington, D.C.), pausing at surfing beaches in California, genteel boutiques in Georgia, barbeque debates in North Carolina, and even the Kentucky Derby—where dogs strut in seersucker and rose garlands as confidently as their human companions. Each vignette is told with humor, but also with a cultural sensitivity that highlights what America’s treatment of dogs discloses about itself as a nation: its values, excesses, contradictions, and charms.
What makes the book especially engaging is Okine’s structure. Each chapter ends with a “What This Says About America” reflection, turning what could have been a collection of funny stories into a cultural mirror. Sometimes the revelations are whimsical (dogs as pickup-truck copilots in Alabama), but beneath the humor there is a thoughtful analysis of belonging, identity, and freedom in American life.
As a historian of U.S. culture myself, I found much resonance with my own work. In my book History of the United States, I also examine the rise of “pet culture” as a demographic and social phenomenon. I dedicated a section titled “When Pets Outnumber Children and Vets Outshine Pediatricians” to explain why so many American families in recent decades have chosen pets over children. By the 2010s, the shift was unmistakable: veterinary services began to outpace pediatrics in demand, and from 2020 onward the number of dogs and cats (around 180 million) far exceeded the 73 million children under 18. Young couples openly called their pets “babies,” fueling what I described as the “pet boom.”
Seen in this context, Okine’s humorous travelogue is more than comedy—it’s part of a larger conversation about identity, family, and values in the U.S. His sharp but never cruel observations show how something as ordinary as a dog in a stroller or a beagle at a barbeque debate reveals deep truths about who Americans are today.
A delightful, insightful, and at times sobering portrait of a country told “one state at a time, one bark at a time.”
What makes the book especially engaging is Okine’s structure. Each chapter ends with a “What This Says About America” reflection, turning what could have been a collection of funny stories into a cultural mirror. Sometimes the revelations are whimsical (dogs as pickup-truck copilots in Alabama), but beneath the humor there is a thoughtful analysis of belonging, identity, and freedom in American life.
As a historian of U.S. culture myself, I found much resonance with my own work. In my book History of the United States, I also examine the rise of “pet culture” as a demographic and social phenomenon. I dedicated a section titled “When Pets Outnumber Children and Vets Outshine Pediatricians” to explain why so many American families in recent decades have chosen pets over children. By the 2010s, the shift was unmistakable: veterinary services began to outpace pediatrics in demand, and from 2020 onward the number of dogs and cats (around 180 million) far exceeded the 73 million children under 18. Young couples openly called their pets “babies,” fueling what I described as the “pet boom.”
Seen in this context, Okine’s humorous travelogue is more than comedy—it’s part of a larger conversation about identity, family, and values in the U.S. His sharp but never cruel observations show how something as ordinary as a dog in a stroller or a beagle at a barbeque debate reveals deep truths about who Americans are today.
A delightful, insightful, and at times sobering portrait of a country told “one state at a time, one bark at a time.”
February 9, 2026
Robert Okine’s USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do is satire with a suitcase in one hand and a leash in the other. Beneath the playful premise lies a surprisingly sharp portrait of modern America seen through the pampered, groomed, and occasionally absurd lives of its dogs.
What makes the book work is the balance between humor and observation. Okine writes as an amused outsider, noticing the details Americans have stopped questioning: birthday cakes for poodles, organic meal plans for bulldogs, apartments designed around a terrier’s emotional needs. The jokes land because they are tethered to real contradictions how a nation capable of extraordinary generosity toward pets can remain indifferent to the struggles of people.
The state by state structure gives the satire momentum. Each region reveals a different flavor of canine privilege: California’s influencer dogs, Colorado’s adventure hounds, New York’s real estate-savvy pups. Okine’s voice is affectionate rather than bitter; he teases America the way a friend might pointing out the eccentricities while clearly enjoying the ride.
Beyond the laughs, the book becomes an unexpected cultural study. Our treatment of dogs becomes a mirror for class, consumerism, loneliness, and the need to nurture something in a society that often feels unkind. Okine never preaches, but the questions linger after the punchlines fade.
It’s a lively, accessible, and surprisingly thoughtful travelogue perfect for readers who like their social commentary served with a wagging tail.
What makes the book work is the balance between humor and observation. Okine writes as an amused outsider, noticing the details Americans have stopped questioning: birthday cakes for poodles, organic meal plans for bulldogs, apartments designed around a terrier’s emotional needs. The jokes land because they are tethered to real contradictions how a nation capable of extraordinary generosity toward pets can remain indifferent to the struggles of people.
The state by state structure gives the satire momentum. Each region reveals a different flavor of canine privilege: California’s influencer dogs, Colorado’s adventure hounds, New York’s real estate-savvy pups. Okine’s voice is affectionate rather than bitter; he teases America the way a friend might pointing out the eccentricities while clearly enjoying the ride.
Beyond the laughs, the book becomes an unexpected cultural study. Our treatment of dogs becomes a mirror for class, consumerism, loneliness, and the need to nurture something in a society that often feels unkind. Okine never preaches, but the questions linger after the punchlines fade.
It’s a lively, accessible, and surprisingly thoughtful travelogue perfect for readers who like their social commentary served with a wagging tail.
October 24, 2025
USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do by Robert Okine is a clever, satirical, and surprisingly insightful romp through America’s canine culture a book that begins as humor and ends as sharp social commentary. With wit, charm, and a journalist’s eye for absurdity, Okine transforms a cross-country survey of “dog rights” into a mirror reflecting the quirks, contradictions, and heart of the nation itself.
Structured as an alphabetical tour of all 50 states, the book reads like a travelogue written by your most observant (and funniest) road companion. Each state brims with bite-sized reflections, local flavor, and perfectly judged satire from California’s influencer pups to Texas’s tailgate royalty. Beneath the laughter lies something more profound: a meditation on freedom, privilege, and empathy, seen through the most universally beloved lens our dogs.
Okine’s voice is equal parts Bill Bryson and David Sedaris, blending humor with genuine cultural insight. It’s a light-hearted read with teeth playful yet piercing in its exploration of how we assign value, status, and affection in modern America. USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do isn’t just for pet lovers; it’s for anyone who enjoys comedy that teaches, satire that connects, and travel writing that barks with truth.
Structured as an alphabetical tour of all 50 states, the book reads like a travelogue written by your most observant (and funniest) road companion. Each state brims with bite-sized reflections, local flavor, and perfectly judged satire from California’s influencer pups to Texas’s tailgate royalty. Beneath the laughter lies something more profound: a meditation on freedom, privilege, and empathy, seen through the most universally beloved lens our dogs.
Okine’s voice is equal parts Bill Bryson and David Sedaris, blending humor with genuine cultural insight. It’s a light-hearted read with teeth playful yet piercing in its exploration of how we assign value, status, and affection in modern America. USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do isn’t just for pet lovers; it’s for anyone who enjoys comedy that teaches, satire that connects, and travel writing that barks with truth.
December 16, 2025
USA: Where Dogs Have More Rights Than You Do is a sharp, hilarious, and surprisingly insightful satire that uses America’s canine obsession as a mirror for the country’s culture, contradictions, and priorities. Robert Okine’s state-by-state journey is packed with wit, observational humor, and affectionate mockery, turning everyday dog culture into a lens for understanding regional identity and national values.
What makes this book stand out is its balance of comedy and commentary. Beneath the laughter lies a thoughtful exploration of privilege, consumerism, and how affection for pets often fills deeper social gaps. From pampered urban pups to rugged rural companions, Okine captures America in all its quirky extremes, making this book both laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly reflective. It’s a clever, memorable read that stays with you long after the final bark.
What makes this book stand out is its balance of comedy and commentary. Beneath the laughter lies a thoughtful exploration of privilege, consumerism, and how affection for pets often fills deeper social gaps. From pampered urban pups to rugged rural companions, Okine captures America in all its quirky extremes, making this book both laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly reflective. It’s a clever, memorable read that stays with you long after the final bark.
August 26, 2025
A fun and insightful read about the way we treat our dogs state by state. I agree with the author, that being a dog in each of the states is the way to go. Dogs are the best people I know!
August 27, 2025
A funny read about one man journey across America and looking how it seems dog get better treatment than their owners. A delightful read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great read
August 30, 2025
It’s a funny book I liked it. I was given an arc and choose to give a honest review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews