Dog Gone: A Lost Pet's Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home

by Pauls Toutonghi

The true story of a lost dog’s journey and a family’s furious search to find him before it is too late.

Saturday, October 10, 1998. Fielding Marshall is hiking on the Appalachian Trail. His beloved dog—a six-year-old golden retriever mix named Gonker—bolts into the woods. Just like that, he has vanished. And Gonker has Addison’s disease. If he’s not found in twenty-three days, he will die.

The search begins. Fielding and his father, John, are dispatched to the field. They have the family’s other dog, Uli, in tow. Combing the trails, Fielding and his father bond like never before. Fielding’s sister, Peyton, calls and talks him through some of his lowest moments. And—at home—Fielding’s mother, Virginia, sets up a command center.

Virginia becomes a field general. With a map and a phone book at her side, she contacts animal shelters, police precincts, general stores, community centers, newspapers, radio stations, churches, and park rangers. She is tireless. The local paper in Waynesboro, Virginia, writes a small story about the family’s search. The story hits the AP newswire. Tips—many of them of questionable authenticity—pour in from across the country. But as the search continues, the Marshalls realize they may not survive losing Gonker. Even as the wounds of their past return to haunt them and threaten to jeopardize everything, they know they have one bring Gonker home.

With a big heart, intelligent humor, and a deft touch, Pauls Toutonghi tells this true tale of loss, love, and resilience.  Dog Gone  is by turns a story about how a family comes together in a crisis—and the way heroism can assert itself in the little things we do each day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Family

272 pages, Hardcover

First published December 27, 2015

Reviews

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more than a dog story, this is a family story of love, loss and working together for a common cause. It's also the story of how a child can survive bad parenting with the help of a good pet. The author tells the story of not only the lost dog, Gonker, and his human companion Fielding, but also gives the back story of Fielding's mother, Virginia. It's a wonderful story of survival.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.5. I was a goodreads giveaway winner of this book. It is a very quick read. As one can see by the cover it is partly about a dog that went camping with his owner on the Appalachian Trail and ran into the wilderness and disappeared. I should mention that about half of this books is about Gonker the missing dog and the two weeks it took to find him. the first half of the book is about the humans in the story. First Virginia the mother of Gonker's owner Fielding. Then it eventually writes of Gonker and his owner.
Before Gonker is lost in the wilderness he is diagnosed with a serious illness called "Addison's disease" he must have a monthly injection at the Veterenerian's or he can get very sick. When he disappears he is weeks away from his next injection. The family sets up lost and found notices tries to go to the media. and some online,but it was 1998 when this took place so the internet was just beginning. the family did everything they could to find Gonkers. Some good sameritans helped, along with prank calls. I wish more of this book was about the dog. It was okay for the most part.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like others, I thought this book was going to be a modern version of the Disney classic, The Incredible Journey. It was not. Instead, it was the somewhat protracted story of the Marshall family and son Fielding's golden retriever, Gonker, who does get lost on the Appalachian Trail. Mother Ginny is the guiding force in the book, trying to be a better parent and caring dog lover than her own miserable parents. Meanwhile, Fielding or Fields as he is called, is adrift, and finds companionship with Gonker, who is quite ill, adding urgency to the search. Ginny's untiring efforts to assist in the search by raising awareness is impressive as is the kindness of strangers helping in the search, but the other characters are a bit flat and there is not enough focus on Gonker himself. Note: Author Pauls Touonghi is the son-in-law of the Marshalls (married to Fielding's sister Peyton.) I had hoped for more, especially given how much I enjoyed another of his books, Evel Knievel Days.

[Cyndee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Loved. It. The story is wonderfully written ~ funny, sad, real life stuff. Parts of it were hard to read because of the pain involved....but that is life sometimes, and so they had to be included. Great victory overcame great adversity & sorrow. It was just wonderful.

And, for the record, it is full of events of my teen/adult years. It was neat to read and say, "oh yeah, I remember that." And I did not know that the Mormons have a 'Code of Ethics' ~ who knew?! There are a lot of little tidbits like that scattered throughout the book.

I just loved it.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was prepared to dump this book as soon as I heard a dog got lost when walking off leash. But the writing grabbed me. Toutonghi knew exactly when to go back in time, which element of the story needed told at what point, and how to keep the reader engaged and caring about how things happened. Even if you read the ending first to make certain you could emotionally handle the outcome, I admit I did, the story itself was well worth reading.
I recommend it.

[Rox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet sad and happy. Why do I do it to myself? Dog books always end up making me ugly cry.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

In today's world, we have a flood of books offering many different kinds of dreams. Despite their individuality, however, when you open a book and start reading, you often get a feeling within the first few pages for the kind of book it is. In their extended, torrential variety, it's rare to find the grace note of an authentic voice. For me, Dog Gone immediately felt unique and necessary. It's the kind of book I often want to be reading, and rarely find. The author manages to both go deep with story, and draw its threads around the kinds of distant, every day events that shake and fracture quiet moments. The people you meet are completely three dimensional--quirky, beloved, hurt by life, entirely interesting and worth spending time with. The central character, Gonker, is a golden retriever who lives in the story the way pets live in our un-narrated lives. He is perfectly vivid and perfectly mysterious. I read the book quickly, enjoyed every single minute and will remember it for many years to come.

[Amy Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I share my home and heart with three dogs. One of my dogs is Buffy. Buffy is my heart dog and she was diagnosed with Addison's disease a year and a half ago. I can only imagine the fear of not finding Gonker, knowing that his medication wears off. This is a beautiful story of a dog and the family who loves him so much.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful, feel-good story of a family's love and how a beloved pet can change our lives. The story might have been told in half the pages - the author seemed to be getting paid by the adjective, but a nice quick read.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good dog story, but also a story about a loving family. When Gonker gets lost on the Appalachian Trail, everyone pitches in to help look for the golden retriever. He was lost for two weeks in the rugged terrain and eventually found 111 miles away from the place he was last seen.

[Linda]

The true story of a runaway dog in need of medical care and his McLean family that left no stone unturned in their search for him.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book standing in the library. Had already seen the movie. It’s a little bit of a tearjerker if you are a dog lover.

[Ranette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice book about a confused college grad who has no idea what he wants to do, but after adopting a dog he improves.

[Sally Bache · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever loved a dog, read this sweet, funny book

[Karen Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed every moment of this true story! A lot to think about and ponder. I am glad we even found out about Fieldings illness.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hats off to the writer who brought intelligence, lucidity, and objectivity to his writing. He allows us to share a very sad and stressful situation while inviting us to look inside a modern day family who struggles with many issues simultaneously. Toutonghi handles the mom's issues with delicacy and sensitivity and allows the reader to share her pain while also feeling the pain of the family while in search of Gonker. He never accepts the temptation to suck the reader into a maudlin, overly-emotional web and allows each of us to consider thinking about the many nuances of simultaneous thought processes and emotions that carry the family member throughout the ordeal of their attempts at finding Gonker.
I appreciated the starkness with which he shares Garfield because it reminds those of us who have adult children that it is darn hard to watch them struggle at times while they find their way through the realities of the adult world. While we want to make everything all right for them, as parents we must step back and take our cues while walking the fine line of making sure our kids know we are there for them if ever needed.
I love each member of this family and wish them all the best as they continue to be there for each other with unconditional love. Life is filled with tough roads to navigate but the kind of love and support that they share will continue to bless them and help them all in the future.
I look forward to future books by Toutonghi. He has been gifted with a beautiful family of in-laws and is a true gift himself for them to cherish.

[ck · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC courtesy Knopf via the Amazon Vine program

This is a beautiful story, told with fondness. I'm stumbling over words and emotions writing this, so what follows is not a formal review.

It is the tale of a dog who was lost and then found. That would be sufficient for many a pet-lover, and the series of events surrounding the search for Gonker is pretty amazing and heartwarming. Pets love unconditionally, and pet people love them right back -- and recognize this ability in others of like spirit. Thanks to the generosity of the Marshall family, though, we have an even deeper story.

The backstory to Gonker's human family and why this dog mattered so much, whether the result was rescue or recovery, speaks to the heart, and loops right back around to the capacity to recognize and reciprocate the love a pet offers. Telling this part of Gonker's family heritage goes to the college days of Fielding, who adopted Gonker, and to the childhood of Fielding's mom, Ginny.

As you begin reading, knowing that the search for Gonker occurred in the 1990s, you may well wonder why the author starts with Ginny's childhood. Without the wonderful Mr. Oji, her Akita, the essence of the family might have been very different. The love for Gonker and the search might have been similar, but for all we know, the intensity would have been different.

Here is where I stumble again: I'm doing poorly with conveying Ginny's connection with Oji as a dog who saved her (please trust me on this, because I refuse to include spoilers), and how she had no other choice but to try to save Gonker ... the concept of giri and on, across the decades and between two species. As the author so carefully shows, the way in which Ginny reached out for help was distinctive and resonant. So was her recognition of the network of like-hearted strangers, her everyday "heroes" (her word) who provided optimism and effort.

I will bring this to a close now that the pup who has been napping on my feet has begun nudging me with her rope toy, suggesting a game of fetch.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A WONDERFUL ACCOUNT OF A FAMILY'S PERSEVERING LOVE FOR THEIR DOG AS WELL AS FOR EACH OTHER.

This book is about much more than a family pet that goes missing, even though it is that and that is the central focus of the book. But, it's also an account of the journey of a woman from her earliest years during which she suffered through a childhood of neglect (at best) by her parents to her late middle age when she finally finds consolation and healing through the love of her husband and son and the dog that binds them together.

As a child, she had found her one source of solace and comfort in a dog that became her constant companion. When this dog died in a tragic accident, she was not allowed by her parents to grieve for him or even to see him to bid him good-bye.

When Mrs. Marshall's adult son's dog, Gonker, wanders away and becomes lost as he, Gonker, and a friend are hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Marshall family begins an all-out search, putting up posters, calling vets and animal rescue groups throughout their local community and the entire area, and an ever-widening circle of people become involved in the search. What complicates the search and makes it so vital that Gonker be found as soon as possible is that he suffers from Addison's disease, which, if gone untreated, would prove to be fatal, and its affects upon him would most likely be exacerbated with the dog being under stress.

The account of the search for Gonker is told in a wonderful way by author Pauls Toutonghi, who over a period of years, in the process of getting to know this family, became acquainted with the details of their history as a family and with the transformative affect that Gonker had in their lives, individually and as a family and that the ever-widening search for Gonker had upon their community as well as a good portion of the state of Virginia.

[Angel Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this book. The mother, Virginia, was someone who I was able to heavily identify with and the son, Fielding, was someone who you couldn't help but feel pity for. Life continuously knocked him down but when the choices you make are somewhat questionable when it comes to your overall intentions bad things tend to happen. Overall, it was very heartwarming and showed the strength and love between the family who rallied together in order to find their beloved Gonker. There were a few parts that were sketchy and inappropriate (such as the drug use and the amount of partying being mentioned) that might make this book unsuitable for children younger than high school but overall I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a wholesome book to read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Goldens (who doesn’t?) and expected I’d enjoy this book, but I didn’t know how deeply Pauls Toutonghi would dive into his wife’s family history, the culture of expats in post-war Japan, the Appalachian Trail, and the bottomless devotion we are capable of feeling for our pets and for each other.

A beautifully crafted narrative.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story of hope. I love the book, but I think there was a little too much background information - the whole first half of the book was background information. I also would have liked to know more about life after the search was over.

[Jessica Ransom · Rating 4 out of 5]

After putting our 18-year-old dog to sleep, I needed something about the unique connection between dogs and humans. This did the trick. On top of that, the story happens in an exact place and time in which I lived. All in all, it was a sentimental trip down memory lane. I soaked up every page.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more that just a story about a dog getting lost. It is a story of a family, what shaped them and how a dog pulled them closer.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this starts off sounding as a story about a lost pet and what an amazing journey that he took to be brought home safe it is sad to say a secondary pet story. The tale itself although including the dog and using him as a catalyst is really about the perils of child abuse, the long term effects through generations, the struggles of being a family and the slow process of healing for almost all members.

The author's style of writing is strange since he references so much outside trivia that for some newer generations coming upon this book it may be a bit of a time capsule. And at other times, especially at the beginning of the book, it feels like he is using his writing to impress the reader with his writing and language skills.

Once you get past all that then you find a story that is fascinating to read, one that resounds a bit close to home perhaps and one that has all the elements that worried parents can acknowledge at least once in a while. The story begins with a dive into the background of Virginia, the dog's owner's mother, and what makes her the way she is, what drives her to the extreme lengths she is known for.

And this is part of the tale that vexes me just a bit. Since we are introduced to Ginny basically since the beginning I would love to know whether her children finally came to understand what drives her, whether she was able to tame her demons and finally be able to self-love herself. The story doesn't seem to end completely with her with more strings left untied than tied.

The rest of the family isn't as extensively shared, especially John and Peyton for they are merely members of the family yet secondary characters within this particular tale. Sometimes they break the ice, sometimes they highly contribute but in the end they just help to move the story along.

The writing when the author allowed himself to release up on all the flairs was quick, interesting and definitely held my attention although in the end I wanted to know more about what made Fielding hurt instead of where or how his dog would be found. That answer is basically found at the very, very end of the book for others who also may want to know that but not want to read the whole book.

There were a few sketches of a dog within the book but no actual photographs although we are told at the end that it wasn't due to the lack of. The one that is on the cover, if it is Gonker, isn't of him in any of his own peculiar poses being him or with the herringbone collar that he was wearing when he chose to bound off into the woods.

Altogether the story wasn't a bad telling of family but rather one that was interesting and open. The chapters are brief in most cases and each started with a nice quote from a famous work. As such for those who are into human interest stories or just need a compelling trivia-based read to help get them through some heavy hours this will be a fine recommendation indeed.

[John Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dog Gone, by Pauls Toutonghi; Alfred A. Knopf: New York; $25.00 hardback
If you are looking for the perfect gift for your friend who loves dogs, look no further. This small volume recounts a true story of devotion; a true dog story which those who once watched "Old Yeller" and cried will understand. What's more, the love of a family, and how the search for their missing dog brought them together is intertwined.
Pauls Toutonghi, teacher at Oregon's Lewis and Clark College, can be justly proud of this contribution to his gallery of publications in major journals and magazines.
Gonker was the the Marshall family' pride and joy. Special by all definitions, he was beloved. A foundling from a rescue center, this golden retriever mix found its way into the hearts of father, son, and mother. Taken on a hike in the Appalachians, however, Gonker disappeared. The disappearance is the heart of the story, and the Homeric efforts at retrieval are the primary theme. What propels the tension of a recovery, however, is that poor Gonker had Addison's disease, one which required medication twice monthly or death ensued.
We follow the desperate search through a 1998 'social outreach' pursuit. By that I mean a family without computer skills called, and xeroxed, and posted advisories. With increasing desperation they called police agencies, libraries, animal shelters, and a host of other places looking for help. You'll follow the almost heart rending search as a family grows closer the more hopeless the search seems. An incredible break comes when a newspaper cites their quest, then it is picked up by no less than national media.
You'll find this story tight, absorbing, and true. You'll find the comic relief of John Marshall's strange 'facts' a treat. What's more, you'll realize how good people can be, and sadly how perverse othe can be as well. But in the end, it is a triuph of hope over loss, and that is a good way to spend a few hours this summer.

[Kathy Megaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out loving this book. The history of the family whom this book revolves around is interesting to say the least. My heart went out to Ginny Marshall whose past was full of heartbreak and pain. I loved reading about the Marshall family's connection to various dogs in their lives and about the dogs themselves. I wish there had been more written about Gonker - his activities and his character.

The author, Paul Toutonghi, has composed an intricate account of the search for Gonker, the Marshall's lost dog. Toutonghi skillfully communicates the actions and the networking of all who participated in the dog's rescue. This true story is an example of how a beloved dog can bring family members together.

I admire Toutognhi's style as the story flows nicely. His word usage is delightful. I found myself being somewhat disappointed in the dialogue among the parties involved. Their conversations sounded rather shallow and somewhat dull. I kept waiting for someone to say something profound, but the words spoken lacked emotion. This confused me, because losing a pet is an extremely emotional situation. I questioned the purpose of some of the verbal exchanges in this book and wonder if I would have liked it better had the author told the story without using the family members' actual quotes. If this is Toutonghi's way of keeping the book as true and factual as possible, I commend him for that.

Dog Gone was a quick, easy read. While I'm sure the search for Gonker was intense, aside from concerns surrounding both the dog's and his owner's health issues, it seemed quite uneventful. I'm so happy that Gonker was found well and unharmed and that he was able to live out the remainder of his life with the family that loved him.

[Stuart Chase]

A worthwhile, feel-good read

I came to this book after watching Netflix's film adaptation of the story. As is so often the case, the book exceeds the film in every respect, filling in details that help the movie to make better sense. Despite its title, the story is less about a lost dog and more about the dynamics of the dog’s family. The story highlights how a beloved pet can have a lasting effect in a person's and a family's life. In many ways, the book is the story of Ginny, Gonker’s owner's mother. She is the heart around which the story revolves. It is the story of the power of community coming together to help one another in a time of need. A quick read with short chapters, it is well worth a read for anyone in search of a simple, feel good true story.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A subjects that seems like something you couldn’t really make a full novel out of. But the way the author has done so, is fantastic.
The way this book is written, weaving the mother’s past, the sons hidden illness and the kindness of countless strangers to help find a missing dog had almost a fictional feel in the telling. You really cared what was going to happen to the dog and the family he belonged to. I was so happy when he was found. And then we had to have him die of old age at the end. Bawling like a baby. No big deal. Don’t read the end of this book in public!

[Anne Vandenbrink · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite what I thought it would be. It was more about the family and their issues. The author strayed into rambling about other trivia as well. About half way through is when Gonker the dog is lost while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Gonker needs medication within 20 days or he'll die. The owner and his Dad walk the trail for a week looking. His mother runs a command center from home getting newspapers in the area to run stories, and contacting animal hospitals, which brings attention to the their plight. Gonker is found at a ski resort after being lost for two weeks.