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Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills
A compelling true story of one dog's rescue from a Pennsylvania puppy mill This touching narrative uses the poignant makeover of Gracie, a sickly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to tell the story of America's hidden puppy mills-commercial kennels that breed dogs in horrific living conditions and churn out often-diseased and emotionally damaged puppies for sale. Saving Gracie chronicles how one little dog is transformed from a bedraggled animal worn out from bearing puppies into a loving, healthy member of her new family; and how her owner, Linda Jackson, is changed from a person who barely tolerated dogs to a woman passionately determined not only to save Gracie's life, but also to get the word out about the millions of American puppy mill dogs who need our help.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
19 people are currently reading
3203 people want to read
About the author
Carol Bradley
9 books9 followersBefore turning to books, I spent many years as a newspaper reporter in my home state of Tennessee, New York, Washington D.C. and Montana.
My family had a couple of dogs when I was very young and adopted a number of stray cats, but I really became interested in the lives of animals after my husband, Steve L’Heureux, and I acquired two Shelties. I was fascinated at the intelligence and emotional complexity of those beloved dogs.
I began to write about horse slaughtering and animal hoarding and – after covering an egregious puppy mill bust – my interest in the underbelly of the animal world deepened.
I studied Animal Law as a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2004 and afterward began work on my first book: Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mill (Wiley, 2010.)
Last Chain on Billie is my second book.
I live in Great Falls, Montana with my husband and three very colorful dogs.
My family had a couple of dogs when I was very young and adopted a number of stray cats, but I really became interested in the lives of animals after my husband, Steve L’Heureux, and I acquired two Shelties. I was fascinated at the intelligence and emotional complexity of those beloved dogs.
I began to write about horse slaughtering and animal hoarding and – after covering an egregious puppy mill bust – my interest in the underbelly of the animal world deepened.
I studied Animal Law as a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2004 and afterward began work on my first book: Saving Gracie: How one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mill (Wiley, 2010.)
Last Chain on Billie is my second book.
I live in Great Falls, Montana with my husband and three very colorful dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
April 12, 2013
I give this book 5 stars, not because it is a great work of literature. I usually reserve 5 stars for those. This book puts a face on puppy mills in a way that humane societies and animal rescue groups do not have time for. It is a great piece of journalism. I especially recommend this book to people who have heard of puppy mills, but have not been informed of the details. I already am involved in contributing to the cause. I didn't need the book but wanted to read it. In 1996 I bought a pet store Maltese not yet having heard of puppy mills. It is my Humphrey who taught me about puppy mills through the horrible ear infection he had when I brought him home, his endless barking and crying when I tried to crate train him, his jitteriness that plagued him his whole life and the fact that he died of an extremely rare type of brain tumor that Maltese are not known for getting. He was 9. Maltese normally live as long as 18 to 20 years. If you care about animals at all, I would highly recommend this book. Kleenex is recommended not just for the sadness that comes from the cruelty, but also for the joy one feels for the happy homes given to these dogs by such dedicated and good people.
March 17, 2015
3.5
Despicable. Puppy mills, their owners and the people who abuse these animals for their greedy gains. Theses a story about the beginning of the Anti puppy mill movement in Pennsylvania and how it moved to other states.
I picked this book up when I saw it was about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue. I have two CKCS rescues and wanted to connect with the story around my dogs. The CKCS dog is only a small part in the story. It is a very heartbreaking and heart warming story but a very small part. Gracie is a beautiful, emotionally beaten little girl who finally gets the love she deserved only to fear it. Her issues were only lightly touched on. I would have enjoyed more on her.
The people who took these dogs on, the Vets, the volunteers to new owners should be cheered for this was a fight, and it did get ugly at times. Illnesses, behavior problems, nasty breeders, court battles and great deals of money.
A very educational book on the clamp down on puppy mills and a few rescue stories. This was not a book about one dogs path as suggested. I'm giving it 3.5 stars for leading me wrong.
Despicable. Puppy mills, their owners and the people who abuse these animals for their greedy gains. Theses a story about the beginning of the Anti puppy mill movement in Pennsylvania and how it moved to other states.
I picked this book up when I saw it was about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue. I have two CKCS rescues and wanted to connect with the story around my dogs. The CKCS dog is only a small part in the story. It is a very heartbreaking and heart warming story but a very small part. Gracie is a beautiful, emotionally beaten little girl who finally gets the love she deserved only to fear it. Her issues were only lightly touched on. I would have enjoyed more on her.
The people who took these dogs on, the Vets, the volunteers to new owners should be cheered for this was a fight, and it did get ugly at times. Illnesses, behavior problems, nasty breeders, court battles and great deals of money.
A very educational book on the clamp down on puppy mills and a few rescue stories. This was not a book about one dogs path as suggested. I'm giving it 3.5 stars for leading me wrong.
March 6, 2010
(possible spoilers)
I knew this book would not be an easy read, but I just had to read it. Just 2 weeks ago a family member rescued a four year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, like Gracie, from a Georgia puppy mill. This dog is the sweetest little lap dog ever, but everything is foreign to him: his bed, toys, leash, grass, the sound of cars, birds -- all of these things are new to a puppy mill dog.
Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills, is not all about one dog (later named Gracie). It is a story about a raid on one particular puppy mill - Mike Mar Kennels in Oxford, PA. It is also a wake up call to law enforcement, state and federal agencies about the nationwide problem of often unregulated breeding facilities or puppy mills, and the need for stricter laws and the enforcement of these laws as well.
In the case of Mike-Mar Kennels, owner Mike Wolf, back in the 1960's raised top "show dogs", and in the 1970's began breeding dogs. Sadly his interest grew to thoughts of profit instead of the humane treatment of the dogs in his care. Beginning in 2000, evidence began to mount against Wolf and the kennel. He was cited for failure to maintain the kennel in a sanitary and humane manner and paid a fine of (a laughable) $87.50. In 2004 the AKC stepped in and revoked his kennel and AKC license. But then both the State of PA and the AKC lost track of him and his operations. Finally, in February of 2006, following a tip, the SPCA prepared intervene and to seize what was believed to be some 136 dogs from this facility.
What the team found was worst than expected. The conditions were beyond deplorable. (I'll spare you the details). Nearly all of the dogs had some health issue, and these dogs had most likely never left their cages. All these dogs were simply a number--never a name. Some 30 people took part in the rescue, and a total of 327 dogs, 3 cats and 3 parrots were rescued. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst), this case was rated as a 100.
The public was outraged and some 3,000 animal lovers flooded the shelters with calls of concern and questions about adoption. The owner and associates were put on trial, jailed and/or fined and banned from owning animals. For the rescued dogs, at least for a while, it was not easy going: nearly every puppy mill survivor refused to walk on a leash, some avoided human contact. This was especially true for Dog 132, later adopted by Linda Jackson and her family and named Gracie.
MY THOUGHTS: Gracie was one of the lucky dogs, but this story has just a little to do with Gracie, and her new life. Lucky Gracie, but what about all of the puppy mill dogs that never get to live their life outside of a wire cage? This book made me shed a tear or two, but it is an important story which hopefully will help to raise public awareness to get more people involved in petitioning to change the laws on large scale dog breeding operations. The author, Carol Bradley is a former newspaper reporter, who has written many publications on animal welfare, animal hoarding and animal cruelty. This is not an easy book to read, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (4.5/5 stars)
I knew this book would not be an easy read, but I just had to read it. Just 2 weeks ago a family member rescued a four year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, like Gracie, from a Georgia puppy mill. This dog is the sweetest little lap dog ever, but everything is foreign to him: his bed, toys, leash, grass, the sound of cars, birds -- all of these things are new to a puppy mill dog.
Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills, is not all about one dog (later named Gracie). It is a story about a raid on one particular puppy mill - Mike Mar Kennels in Oxford, PA. It is also a wake up call to law enforcement, state and federal agencies about the nationwide problem of often unregulated breeding facilities or puppy mills, and the need for stricter laws and the enforcement of these laws as well.
In the case of Mike-Mar Kennels, owner Mike Wolf, back in the 1960's raised top "show dogs", and in the 1970's began breeding dogs. Sadly his interest grew to thoughts of profit instead of the humane treatment of the dogs in his care. Beginning in 2000, evidence began to mount against Wolf and the kennel. He was cited for failure to maintain the kennel in a sanitary and humane manner and paid a fine of (a laughable) $87.50. In 2004 the AKC stepped in and revoked his kennel and AKC license. But then both the State of PA and the AKC lost track of him and his operations. Finally, in February of 2006, following a tip, the SPCA prepared intervene and to seize what was believed to be some 136 dogs from this facility.
What the team found was worst than expected. The conditions were beyond deplorable. (I'll spare you the details). Nearly all of the dogs had some health issue, and these dogs had most likely never left their cages. All these dogs were simply a number--never a name. Some 30 people took part in the rescue, and a total of 327 dogs, 3 cats and 3 parrots were rescued. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the worst), this case was rated as a 100.
The public was outraged and some 3,000 animal lovers flooded the shelters with calls of concern and questions about adoption. The owner and associates were put on trial, jailed and/or fined and banned from owning animals. For the rescued dogs, at least for a while, it was not easy going: nearly every puppy mill survivor refused to walk on a leash, some avoided human contact. This was especially true for Dog 132, later adopted by Linda Jackson and her family and named Gracie.
MY THOUGHTS: Gracie was one of the lucky dogs, but this story has just a little to do with Gracie, and her new life. Lucky Gracie, but what about all of the puppy mill dogs that never get to live their life outside of a wire cage? This book made me shed a tear or two, but it is an important story which hopefully will help to raise public awareness to get more people involved in petitioning to change the laws on large scale dog breeding operations. The author, Carol Bradley is a former newspaper reporter, who has written many publications on animal welfare, animal hoarding and animal cruelty. This is not an easy book to read, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (4.5/5 stars)
March 28, 2010
Saving Gracie is an examination of the infamous but secretive world of the mass breeding facilities known as "puppy mills," through the stories of one group of rescued Spaniels.
Wisely, the author frames the Spaniels' story in a much wider scope by concurrently documenting legislators' efforts to rein in the out-of-control puppy breeding business in the state of Pennsylvania. I found this element more intriguing than the chapters documenting the dogs' struggles with housetraining, walks, and other mainstays of normal canine life.
Readers will come away with a sobering understanding of the hurdles facing those who wish to make real changes in the lives of breeding dogs. Puppy mill operators have orchestrated an astonishing number of ways to weasel out of constraints and oversight and continue to make money from dogs' suffering. Sadly, powerful elements of the breeding world have rushed time and time again to puppy millers' defense. I imagine we will continue to see these sad stories as long as animals are considered objects of profit; and as long as people continue to buy puppies from pet shops and Internet sites (which are the puppy mills' main sales outlets).
Helpfully, a section in the back of the book points out ways of identifying puppy-mill breeders; this would be good information to pass on to friends and coworkers who insist on purchasing a dog.
Wisely, the author frames the Spaniels' story in a much wider scope by concurrently documenting legislators' efforts to rein in the out-of-control puppy breeding business in the state of Pennsylvania. I found this element more intriguing than the chapters documenting the dogs' struggles with housetraining, walks, and other mainstays of normal canine life.
Readers will come away with a sobering understanding of the hurdles facing those who wish to make real changes in the lives of breeding dogs. Puppy mill operators have orchestrated an astonishing number of ways to weasel out of constraints and oversight and continue to make money from dogs' suffering. Sadly, powerful elements of the breeding world have rushed time and time again to puppy millers' defense. I imagine we will continue to see these sad stories as long as animals are considered objects of profit; and as long as people continue to buy puppies from pet shops and Internet sites (which are the puppy mills' main sales outlets).
Helpfully, a section in the back of the book points out ways of identifying puppy-mill breeders; this would be good information to pass on to friends and coworkers who insist on purchasing a dog.
July 10, 2010
I hate waiting to review a book because I'm bound to forget certain things but here goes and I only finished this yesterday so maybe I will remember all I wanted to say.
This first thing is I actually met a Cavalier King Charles from deplorable Mike-Mar kennel that is no longer in business thanks to a lot of local heroes. Yesterday I went to the vets office to get my dog his pills and saw the beautiful little dog. I'd have went over anyway because I love all dogs but since I was currently reading Saving Gracie I mentioned it to her. She wrote the name of the book and the author down and when I told her more of what it was about she asked me if this kennel was talked about! I told her it was the main kennel featured. Then she proceeded to tell me this little dog I was petting was a survivor from that same, sad kennel. I plopped right down on the floor and spent some time with her and talked to her person. How much of a coincidence is that?!
About the book, unless you're an expert on puppy mills you'll be enlightened. I knew what a puppy mill was, I knew there are a large amount and the highest concentration in Lancaster, PA., and I knew Missouri is the other "main" large place where they exist. Everyone knows the conditions are horrible, that the dogs meet with much abuse, that they need to be gone for good.
I didn't know a lot of other things, for example, how much PA Governor Ed Rendell is a dog lover and did so, so much towards helping these animals. I didn't know about all of the heroes in the day to day business of saving animals - right down the street from me.
Real quick I want to add that I think Bradley did a great job with this book, there is nothing biased or similiar about it. She told many great things were credited to Rendell and also wrote about where and how he fell short, along with others. That impressed me because so many animal lovers are so passionate they forget to give the whole story and the complete truth in their quest.
**4 million dogs a year are put to death. FOUR MILLION dogs a year. Yet we have breeders all over the country breeding dogs to exhaustion. I'd love someone to explain that to me.
I never knew much, or cared much, about my pets being AKC registered so I never cared much about the AKC. If people knew how much of a hand the AKC had in the PA puppy mills they wouldn't think it was such an exclusive and well-rounded organization. I also assumed, because of what they claim to do, that their rules and regulations are air-tight. They aren't. As long as you tell them the parentage of a dog that's good enough for them basically. Sometimes proof is needed. If you breed a certain amount of litters for example. The rest? No proof. Yet they claim that an AKC registered dogs parentage is 100%. They couldn't care an iota less about dogs. They care about their dues and making money and that's it.
The very people whose jobs it was to check these kennels out passed them even when the kennels were atrocious. (This is an example of how Rendell stepped up in PA. He fired the entire group of them and hired all new people and all of a sudden the horrible kennels were being shit down. Maybe breeders stopped on their own instead of taking the chance on losing out in the form of jail time, monetary loss in one manner or another, etc.
In one case in Virginia, rescuers took just under 1,000 small breed dogs (twice as many as the breeder was licensed to have). The breeder was convicted on animal cruelty and neglect charges and his sentence? To pay slightly under $5,000 in vet bills, a 12 year suspended sentence, probation and the agreement that he won't own any more than 250 dogs. Another judge upheld this verdict after an appeal. F*%& the 250 dogs I suppose.
St. Francis of Assis, patron saint of animals - "If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with with their fellow man."
I haven't spent much time on the site yet but www.anewstartonlife.com looks like a good one to learn more and possibly help out. Bradley mentions this site and at least one of the sites creators in Saving Gracie.
If you're an animal lover of any kind Saving Gracie will touch you. I'm so thankful that I found this book and I only wish I had known much of this information sooner. I will never set foot in another pet store than sells animals. Never. I had already made up my mind on this a long time ago but this book only reinforced my resolve that I will not buy another fullbred puppy unless it's at a shelter. Probably not even then. Luckily I love dogs enough that I'm far from being done with them and I have the chance to help some. I'll be buying an older dog from now on because the puppies are the first ones to go and the older dogs also much deserve a good life and home.
I urge people to do some research and find out more about this subject. the more people with the knowledge the better. Maybe one day we can be assured no more dogs are living in sub-standard conditions like the ones attributed to the kennels in Saving Gracie.
This first thing is I actually met a Cavalier King Charles from deplorable Mike-Mar kennel that is no longer in business thanks to a lot of local heroes. Yesterday I went to the vets office to get my dog his pills and saw the beautiful little dog. I'd have went over anyway because I love all dogs but since I was currently reading Saving Gracie I mentioned it to her. She wrote the name of the book and the author down and when I told her more of what it was about she asked me if this kennel was talked about! I told her it was the main kennel featured. Then she proceeded to tell me this little dog I was petting was a survivor from that same, sad kennel. I plopped right down on the floor and spent some time with her and talked to her person. How much of a coincidence is that?!
About the book, unless you're an expert on puppy mills you'll be enlightened. I knew what a puppy mill was, I knew there are a large amount and the highest concentration in Lancaster, PA., and I knew Missouri is the other "main" large place where they exist. Everyone knows the conditions are horrible, that the dogs meet with much abuse, that they need to be gone for good.
I didn't know a lot of other things, for example, how much PA Governor Ed Rendell is a dog lover and did so, so much towards helping these animals. I didn't know about all of the heroes in the day to day business of saving animals - right down the street from me.
Real quick I want to add that I think Bradley did a great job with this book, there is nothing biased or similiar about it. She told many great things were credited to Rendell and also wrote about where and how he fell short, along with others. That impressed me because so many animal lovers are so passionate they forget to give the whole story and the complete truth in their quest.
**4 million dogs a year are put to death. FOUR MILLION dogs a year. Yet we have breeders all over the country breeding dogs to exhaustion. I'd love someone to explain that to me.
I never knew much, or cared much, about my pets being AKC registered so I never cared much about the AKC. If people knew how much of a hand the AKC had in the PA puppy mills they wouldn't think it was such an exclusive and well-rounded organization. I also assumed, because of what they claim to do, that their rules and regulations are air-tight. They aren't. As long as you tell them the parentage of a dog that's good enough for them basically. Sometimes proof is needed. If you breed a certain amount of litters for example. The rest? No proof. Yet they claim that an AKC registered dogs parentage is 100%. They couldn't care an iota less about dogs. They care about their dues and making money and that's it.
The very people whose jobs it was to check these kennels out passed them even when the kennels were atrocious. (This is an example of how Rendell stepped up in PA. He fired the entire group of them and hired all new people and all of a sudden the horrible kennels were being shit down. Maybe breeders stopped on their own instead of taking the chance on losing out in the form of jail time, monetary loss in one manner or another, etc.
In one case in Virginia, rescuers took just under 1,000 small breed dogs (twice as many as the breeder was licensed to have). The breeder was convicted on animal cruelty and neglect charges and his sentence? To pay slightly under $5,000 in vet bills, a 12 year suspended sentence, probation and the agreement that he won't own any more than 250 dogs. Another judge upheld this verdict after an appeal. F*%& the 250 dogs I suppose.
St. Francis of Assis, patron saint of animals - "If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with with their fellow man."
I haven't spent much time on the site yet but www.anewstartonlife.com looks like a good one to learn more and possibly help out. Bradley mentions this site and at least one of the sites creators in Saving Gracie.
If you're an animal lover of any kind Saving Gracie will touch you. I'm so thankful that I found this book and I only wish I had known much of this information sooner. I will never set foot in another pet store than sells animals. Never. I had already made up my mind on this a long time ago but this book only reinforced my resolve that I will not buy another fullbred puppy unless it's at a shelter. Probably not even then. Luckily I love dogs enough that I'm far from being done with them and I have the chance to help some. I'll be buying an older dog from now on because the puppies are the first ones to go and the older dogs also much deserve a good life and home.
I urge people to do some research and find out more about this subject. the more people with the knowledge the better. Maybe one day we can be assured no more dogs are living in sub-standard conditions like the ones attributed to the kennels in Saving Gracie.
September 12, 2011
I have fallen in love with Gracie, with her rescuers, her new owner and this book!!
I have known of the plight of puppy mill dogs for years (I bought one myself without realizing till too late that he had and will always have temperement issues) and do what I can by donating money to groups who do rescues, wish I could do more, especially after reading this book. It will spur you on to want to do all you can, esecially if you are an animal lover. It reminds me of hoarding but they are hoarding living creatures instead of items and making money off of it. A lot of this can be blamed on the AKC, (which cares nothing for animals as long as they are getting their membership dues), on the state lawmakers (who turn their heads) and on us the public who want and demand purebred dogs..what a crying shame!! This is a box of Puffs Plus read if I ever saw one. One of my personal favorites and for my To-Keep collection.
I have known of the plight of puppy mill dogs for years (I bought one myself without realizing till too late that he had and will always have temperement issues) and do what I can by donating money to groups who do rescues, wish I could do more, especially after reading this book. It will spur you on to want to do all you can, esecially if you are an animal lover. It reminds me of hoarding but they are hoarding living creatures instead of items and making money off of it. A lot of this can be blamed on the AKC, (which cares nothing for animals as long as they are getting their membership dues), on the state lawmakers (who turn their heads) and on us the public who want and demand purebred dogs..what a crying shame!! This is a box of Puffs Plus read if I ever saw one. One of my personal favorites and for my To-Keep collection.
June 7, 2010
I would highly recommend this book to anybody who is considering buying a dog instead of adopting one from a shelter or rescue group. The book goes in depth at what goes on behind the scenes of a puppy mill raid. It also gives the reader an excellent graphic look into the world of puppy mills and the type of business that are supplied by them.
Also a good read if you are from the Berks County PA area and are a dog lover. It's nice to know that something good can come out of this area besides crime and attention-seekers.
Also a good read if you are from the Berks County PA area and are a dog lover. It's nice to know that something good can come out of this area besides crime and attention-seekers.
August 6, 2012
If you love dogs or any animals, this is a must-read. It's the true story of Gracie, a puppy mill dog written by an award-winning journalist. It shows the fighting spirit of animals and humans.
Most people I know don't understand what puppy mills are and how they hurt dogs. This book explains it all in a captivating real-life story of one unfortunate puppy mill dog.
I hope more people will read it so they can make educated decisions when buying from breeders. Or maybe it will steer more people to adopt more mutts who have just as much love to give.
Most people I know don't understand what puppy mills are and how they hurt dogs. This book explains it all in a captivating real-life story of one unfortunate puppy mill dog.
I hope more people will read it so they can make educated decisions when buying from breeders. Or maybe it will steer more people to adopt more mutts who have just as much love to give.
January 21, 2015
One of the most engaging nonfiction books I've read recently. I love dogs, and know the Cavalier King Charles dogs fairly well.
The author of this book has taken one rescued dog, Gracie (or dog 132), and woven her story around the real horror story of puppy mills. If you don't know much about puppy mills, or are unaware of what a pervasive problem they still are, this book will do much to add to your education. Plus, you'll love the story of Gracie's happy life after six years as an over-used breed dog for a puppy mill.
The author of this book has taken one rescued dog, Gracie (or dog 132), and woven her story around the real horror story of puppy mills. If you don't know much about puppy mills, or are unaware of what a pervasive problem they still are, this book will do much to add to your education. Plus, you'll love the story of Gracie's happy life after six years as an over-used breed dog for a puppy mill.
March 16, 2010
This story is about saving a group of dogs from a puppy mill. It is insightful and heartbreaking. A must read for dog lovers.
June 15, 2013
Such a great book! Brought me to tears many times through out and was so inspiring. Th story is not only about Gracie, but the many people that rescued all of the dogs.
July 4, 2012
This book was a very painful eye opener about the horrid conditions found in puppy mills. I knew puppy mills were bad but I didn't know to what extent how awful and cruel they are.
If you love animals you should read this book. If you don't care that much about animals I think you should read this book, too.
I think it is a disgrace what people are doing to defenseless animals whose only desire is to love and be loved. What kind of example are we setting for our children and other countries around the world? We are a nation so greedy that we would do anything to make money even if that means hurting animals so badly that they become terrified of human contact.
I am so glad that we are making progress towards the way we treat animals but I think we still have a long long ways to go.
My dog was badly injured by a dog groomer this past March. I wasn't told about her injuries. I had to discover them for myself. When contacting the animal shelter to try and find out about justice for my dog I was referred to the city prosecuting attorney. I was told by the prosecuting attorney that there was no criminal act because pets are considered property. I was angry. Since when did animals cease to become living creatures and become demoted to the status of property?
I am glad that I read this book but still pained about what I learned.
If you love animals you should read this book. If you don't care that much about animals I think you should read this book, too.
I think it is a disgrace what people are doing to defenseless animals whose only desire is to love and be loved. What kind of example are we setting for our children and other countries around the world? We are a nation so greedy that we would do anything to make money even if that means hurting animals so badly that they become terrified of human contact.
I am so glad that we are making progress towards the way we treat animals but I think we still have a long long ways to go.
My dog was badly injured by a dog groomer this past March. I wasn't told about her injuries. I had to discover them for myself. When contacting the animal shelter to try and find out about justice for my dog I was referred to the city prosecuting attorney. I was told by the prosecuting attorney that there was no criminal act because pets are considered property. I was angry. Since when did animals cease to become living creatures and become demoted to the status of property?
I am glad that I read this book but still pained about what I learned.
November 19, 2010
Bradley provides a well-written look into the unjust world of large-scale puppy breeding. While the majority of the book focuses on a single case centered in Pennsylvania, Bradley does document some of the nationwide issues as well.
While I was aware of the horrors of puppy mills before picking up this book, I am still satisfied with my decision to pick this one up. Any publicity this issue can draw is welcomed, and I feel that Bradley does a remarkable job outlining the poor moral decision you are making if you choose to purchase a dog from this particular source.
I recommend this book to anyone thinking about inviting a dog into their home. Become informed before making a poor choice!
While I was aware of the horrors of puppy mills before picking up this book, I am still satisfied with my decision to pick this one up. Any publicity this issue can draw is welcomed, and I feel that Bradley does a remarkable job outlining the poor moral decision you are making if you choose to purchase a dog from this particular source.
I recommend this book to anyone thinking about inviting a dog into their home. Become informed before making a poor choice!
May 26, 2010
Saving Gracie is unique in that it follows one dog from her rescue from a puppy mill to her adoption by a family and how they helped her overcome all the issues, both mental and physical, that she developed as a result of her life in that puppy mill. The reader gets to see both the legal side of things, as well as, how much work is involved in shutting a puppy mill down. Very interesting, but also disturbing to think about how these puppy mills abuse thousands and thousands of animals. I would highly recommend this one to any animal lovers!
February 28, 2013
I'm not quite finished with it, but we have a cavalier King Charles spaniel that we got over the summer. Before we got her, I started to read this book. After that, I was so thankful that my baby's life didn't start like that. It's really a shame that cavaliers are so expensive and aren't commonly up for adoption, because they are smart, beautiful, loving, friendly, and they just love their owners. Someone in my family has a cold and was on the floor coughing, and my puppy walked over and licked her chest to try to make it all better. This story is just a miracle (so far!!)
January 25, 2016
This book is so necessary, not just because it tugs at the heartstrings, but also as a social responsibility. It doesn't merely highlight the very real crisis of the shameful puppy mill industry in the US, but offers solutions for people who want to help on a local, state, or national level.
The writing itself is extremely detailed, and definitely reads like it was written by a journalist. Unfortunately, there were some homophone and grammatical errors that prevented me from giving this a full five star rating...too bad we can't give half-stars!
The writing itself is extremely detailed, and definitely reads like it was written by a journalist. Unfortunately, there were some homophone and grammatical errors that prevented me from giving this a full five star rating...too bad we can't give half-stars!
December 30, 2014
I am not giving this 5 stars as the first 1/3 was so very difficult to read outlining the horrors of a puppy mill. However, there was redemption by the end. EVERYONE should read this. If you are a dog lover, you can appreciate the fact that dogs should have a good life with humans. If you are NOT a dog lover, this book just may change your mind. It is one of those true stories which needs to be told and heralded to spread the awareness that we need changes, and some of the individuals here are heroes and pushed through legislation to provide a better life for our beloved pets. :)
May 4, 2010
Saving Gracie is a story that is at once inspiring and yet disturbing. It is full of compassion and love, but also sprinkled with disturbing images that are more terrible than any Stephen King or Dean Koontz thriller. What animal lover could fail to be touched by this book?
Read more at Suite101: Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley – Book Review http://activistbiographies.suite101.c...
Read more at Suite101: Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley – Book Review http://activistbiographies.suite101.c...
January 21, 2011
One of the few books I actually READ! Typically I listen to my books on cd, but this wasn't available in audio format. It was such a stirring book that follows a dog from the horrors of a "hording" puppy mill owner to the woman who decides to give her a better life. The dog and her savior learn a lot about survival and love. The puppy mill owner is a sad story of someone in the limelight of showing AKC champions and his downward spiral to running a horrendous puppy mill.
May 6, 2013
A really great book, and told really well also. The facts wove into personal stories as well. It was sad and uplifting at the same time. A definite five star book! Read on kindle as well, for a nice price. Gotta love my kindle ;)
November 16, 2014
Great use of the specific to highlight the more general problem of puppy mills.
Read
September 2, 2017Really made me understand the depth of horrendous puppy mills. I urge you to read this book. Chose to adopt dogs from shelters and perhaps save dogs who have been used as breeding pups. I know there are many very good breeders who treat their dogs with great love and do it to preserve and help weed out bad health traits in breeds, but there are also the puppy mills who exist merely to make as much money as they can. The dogs are kept in dirty cages, and their feet never feel the grass, and their poor bodies never feel the touch of a loving human. Some die in their cages and are left. This will make you want to help close down these horrible places.
June 19, 2018
This was a 2-3 star book for me, but I leaned toward 3 stars because of the importance of the subject matter. The editing wasn’t great. The writing wasn’t great. The author comes from a background in investigative newspaper writing, and the book was structured much like a very long article piece more so than a book, which made it a little slow in my opinion.
Also, the title’s a bit misleading, as I’d say only half, (if that) of the book is actually about Gracie, herself. Which wasn’t a problem for me, but I definitely found the title to be inaccurate, as it’s not at all only about “how one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mills”, it’s much broader than that.
Besides the writing and title, the last piece that turned me off on this book a little bit, is that there were certainly some political aspects and pieces to it that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but also, oddly, I didn’t love very many of the people in the book. Many of the people interviewed who were adopting these dogs came off as dumb, rich, snobs who sometimes actually seemed to be okay with puppy mills’ existence because then they can adopt and care for these sickly, abused dogs and feel better about themselves for taking them in and dropping all of this money to rehabilitate them I guess?
Case in point - There was one woman who infuriated me. Susan Krewatch had been to Michael Wolf’s house and adopted a few cavalier’s from him, (Michael Wolf had run the main disgusting puppy mill focused on in the book - which detailed his history, the raid on his property, through the entire ensuing legal battle and court case that took place afterwards. Gracie came from his puppy mill.) She saw the extremely poor living conditions and abuse of the dogs, both of the dogs she adopted from him were very ill, she told him off and vowed never to go back again. Despite it all, she didn’t do a single thing to report him and a year later ... she actually recommended him to a couple named the Hewitts! Years later she said, “he just kind of sucked me in”. Wtf?!
So yeah, very oddly, I just didn’t click with some of the people interviewed for the book.
And while I always felt it was important to continue reading, there were just some stories throughout the book of how different puppy mills were ran and how the dogs were abused at them, that were extremely hard to swallow.
Particularly the story of the Zimmerman brothers stuck out to me. After being cited, when they decided not to breed anymore, the brothers shot and killed, (murdered) 80 dogs one by one - poodles, shih tzu, & cocker spaniels. They actually flat out admitted it to the dog warden and said that their veterinarian had actually recommended that they kill the dogs. When the dog warden questioned this, the brothers ran their backhoe and hoed enough soil away to show him all of the de-composing bodies. Oh, and all of that’s not even the worst part. The WORST part is that nothing could even really be done to reprimand their disgusting actions because shooting a dog in their state, (or, ya know, in this case, slaughtering 80 of them, innocent & terrified, execution style), wasn’t even illegal in their state! In the eyes of the law, dogs are property, (still are, which I wholeheartedly believe is wrong), and at the time, they had the right to do away with their property as they saw fit.
I’ll take a breath now and acknowledge that stricter laws have been passed in Pennsylvania and other states now on breeders and hopefully against puppy mills altogether, but it’s still far too little and for thousands of dogs, far too late, and again, the law still sees dogs as property, and I absolutely disagree with that.
I do feel that this book opened my eyes a lot to the harsh realities of puppy mills, dog auctions, and how very blurry the lines can be between reputable breeders and breeders running puppy mills.
I was absolutely shocked to learn how many commercial pet stores sell people sickly dogs from puppy mills and how employees are even trained on how to word conversations with customers, so as not to give away that dirty little secret.
And it did make me think about my own situation a lot, as both my sister and I have purchased dogs from breeders in other states who we had never met, never personally saw or visited their kennels, and had the puppies flown to us with very little background knowledge on their bloodline or breeders history. I did learn some great tips on exactly what to look out for and exactly what to ask and do before purchasing a dog in the future.
Obviously this book highlights an age old debate as well about whether to buy a puppy, or get a rescue dog from a kennel. It’s a hot button issue, and many people feel very strongly one way or the other. I’m for both. I see such advantages in raising a puppy and forming that lifelong bond with a dog, and I see so many advantages in taking in, loving, nurturing and caring for an older, innocent, sad and lonely discarded dog. Puppies are going to continue to be born and need to be adopted and shelters are also going to continue to overflow with abandoned & abused dogs.
What I think is absolutely essential that we start paying more attention to, is these puppy mills. They are growing exponentially in every single state in America and we need to become better educated about them, what to look for, how to know if you’re spotting a puppy mill instead of reputable breeders, and we need to work together to NOT add to their business, report them, shut them down and stop them from producing litter after litter of puppies. Too many people just don’t do their research and don’t know the signs, and so while they’re ardent dog lovers through and through and aren’t intentionally doing anything wrong, they’re keeping these puppy bills in a booming, growing, thriving business and we need to cut the head off of that snake NOW.
Also, why is reforming the dog law / stopping puppy mills not a more bipartisan issue? From what I read of the proposed amendments to the dog law in Pennsylvania, there was zero fair reasoning for state Republicans to be united against it. And one Republican representative even made sarcastic jokes about the seeming absurdity of it. That’s disgusting. Truly disgusting. Of all things, this one should be a completely bipartisan issue. For it to be anything else is just sick and wrong. But I suppose that’s politics as usual?
Overall, the writing of the book itself was subpar, I didn’t love all of the people or all of the stories, but I’m giving it 3 stars because I did also have my eyes opened up and learned some things and I do feel that it’s an extremely important subject that dog lovers everywhere need to become more attuned to.
Also, the title’s a bit misleading, as I’d say only half, (if that) of the book is actually about Gracie, herself. Which wasn’t a problem for me, but I definitely found the title to be inaccurate, as it’s not at all only about “how one dog escaped the shadowy world of American puppy mills”, it’s much broader than that.
Besides the writing and title, the last piece that turned me off on this book a little bit, is that there were certainly some political aspects and pieces to it that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but also, oddly, I didn’t love very many of the people in the book. Many of the people interviewed who were adopting these dogs came off as dumb, rich, snobs who sometimes actually seemed to be okay with puppy mills’ existence because then they can adopt and care for these sickly, abused dogs and feel better about themselves for taking them in and dropping all of this money to rehabilitate them I guess?
Case in point - There was one woman who infuriated me. Susan Krewatch had been to Michael Wolf’s house and adopted a few cavalier’s from him, (Michael Wolf had run the main disgusting puppy mill focused on in the book - which detailed his history, the raid on his property, through the entire ensuing legal battle and court case that took place afterwards. Gracie came from his puppy mill.) She saw the extremely poor living conditions and abuse of the dogs, both of the dogs she adopted from him were very ill, she told him off and vowed never to go back again. Despite it all, she didn’t do a single thing to report him and a year later ... she actually recommended him to a couple named the Hewitts! Years later she said, “he just kind of sucked me in”. Wtf?!
So yeah, very oddly, I just didn’t click with some of the people interviewed for the book.
And while I always felt it was important to continue reading, there were just some stories throughout the book of how different puppy mills were ran and how the dogs were abused at them, that were extremely hard to swallow.
Particularly the story of the Zimmerman brothers stuck out to me. After being cited, when they decided not to breed anymore, the brothers shot and killed, (murdered) 80 dogs one by one - poodles, shih tzu, & cocker spaniels. They actually flat out admitted it to the dog warden and said that their veterinarian had actually recommended that they kill the dogs. When the dog warden questioned this, the brothers ran their backhoe and hoed enough soil away to show him all of the de-composing bodies. Oh, and all of that’s not even the worst part. The WORST part is that nothing could even really be done to reprimand their disgusting actions because shooting a dog in their state, (or, ya know, in this case, slaughtering 80 of them, innocent & terrified, execution style), wasn’t even illegal in their state! In the eyes of the law, dogs are property, (still are, which I wholeheartedly believe is wrong), and at the time, they had the right to do away with their property as they saw fit.
I’ll take a breath now and acknowledge that stricter laws have been passed in Pennsylvania and other states now on breeders and hopefully against puppy mills altogether, but it’s still far too little and for thousands of dogs, far too late, and again, the law still sees dogs as property, and I absolutely disagree with that.
I do feel that this book opened my eyes a lot to the harsh realities of puppy mills, dog auctions, and how very blurry the lines can be between reputable breeders and breeders running puppy mills.
I was absolutely shocked to learn how many commercial pet stores sell people sickly dogs from puppy mills and how employees are even trained on how to word conversations with customers, so as not to give away that dirty little secret.
And it did make me think about my own situation a lot, as both my sister and I have purchased dogs from breeders in other states who we had never met, never personally saw or visited their kennels, and had the puppies flown to us with very little background knowledge on their bloodline or breeders history. I did learn some great tips on exactly what to look out for and exactly what to ask and do before purchasing a dog in the future.
Obviously this book highlights an age old debate as well about whether to buy a puppy, or get a rescue dog from a kennel. It’s a hot button issue, and many people feel very strongly one way or the other. I’m for both. I see such advantages in raising a puppy and forming that lifelong bond with a dog, and I see so many advantages in taking in, loving, nurturing and caring for an older, innocent, sad and lonely discarded dog. Puppies are going to continue to be born and need to be adopted and shelters are also going to continue to overflow with abandoned & abused dogs.
What I think is absolutely essential that we start paying more attention to, is these puppy mills. They are growing exponentially in every single state in America and we need to become better educated about them, what to look for, how to know if you’re spotting a puppy mill instead of reputable breeders, and we need to work together to NOT add to their business, report them, shut them down and stop them from producing litter after litter of puppies. Too many people just don’t do their research and don’t know the signs, and so while they’re ardent dog lovers through and through and aren’t intentionally doing anything wrong, they’re keeping these puppy bills in a booming, growing, thriving business and we need to cut the head off of that snake NOW.
Also, why is reforming the dog law / stopping puppy mills not a more bipartisan issue? From what I read of the proposed amendments to the dog law in Pennsylvania, there was zero fair reasoning for state Republicans to be united against it. And one Republican representative even made sarcastic jokes about the seeming absurdity of it. That’s disgusting. Truly disgusting. Of all things, this one should be a completely bipartisan issue. For it to be anything else is just sick and wrong. But I suppose that’s politics as usual?
Overall, the writing of the book itself was subpar, I didn’t love all of the people or all of the stories, but I’m giving it 3 stars because I did also have my eyes opened up and learned some things and I do feel that it’s an extremely important subject that dog lovers everywhere need to become more attuned to.
July 6, 2012
Ok, I've had this book for some time. I was given a copy, either by my MIL, or the author herself as she's a relative. So I picked it up, noted it's personalized, and decided what the hay; I'd read it.
I've read, over the years, an assortment of these types of books. Most of them though are a bit more...cohesive. This one reminded me quite a bit of the book detailing the fall of Calumet stables - lots of investigative reporting related, but not essential to the story. In this case, while there's a central theme - the dog eventually named Gracie, there's a whole lot on the history of puppy mills, a state government's attempt to correct it, bits of reporting on unrelated cases where mill owners got off with slaps on the hand, etc. IOW, if you really just want to read about Gracie, you skim a lot.
I suppose my reading this comes at an interesting time - the feds are attempting to pass regulations that force anyone who has more than 4 dogs, or any intact dog over the age of 4 months, have a kennel license (well, there are other things buuut). Some of these large scale breeders have 3-400 dogs. How do you care for that many dogs? Any fool should be able to handle 4, and some congenital defects don't show up until much later than 4 months. (what are they thinking!?)
But I degress... while the story of Gracie, and the reports of the puppy mill conditions are disturbing and sad, this really isn't anything I haven't read before.
I've read, over the years, an assortment of these types of books. Most of them though are a bit more...cohesive. This one reminded me quite a bit of the book detailing the fall of Calumet stables - lots of investigative reporting related, but not essential to the story. In this case, while there's a central theme - the dog eventually named Gracie, there's a whole lot on the history of puppy mills, a state government's attempt to correct it, bits of reporting on unrelated cases where mill owners got off with slaps on the hand, etc. IOW, if you really just want to read about Gracie, you skim a lot.
I suppose my reading this comes at an interesting time - the feds are attempting to pass regulations that force anyone who has more than 4 dogs, or any intact dog over the age of 4 months, have a kennel license (well, there are other things buuut). Some of these large scale breeders have 3-400 dogs. How do you care for that many dogs? Any fool should be able to handle 4, and some congenital defects don't show up until much later than 4 months. (what are they thinking!?)
But I degress... while the story of Gracie, and the reports of the puppy mill conditions are disturbing and sad, this really isn't anything I haven't read before.
February 16, 2012
The thing about this book is that it advertises itself as a story about a dog being saved, and that's there, but it's not what most of the book talks about at all. The book reads like a report, and spends many chapters listing information about animal rights groups, the horror behind puppy mills, the laws that have changed over the years, and the trials that happen to change them. I think these are important things, and all eye-openers, but it's not what I originally sat down intending to read, so I feel like the book tricked me by marketing itself as one thing and being another.
Still, Gracie's story brought tears to my eyes, and the conditions repeatedly described for the multitude of puppy mills that have been raided absolutely horrified me. This is a good book to teach people about the dangers of buying dogs through pet stores and disreputable breeders.
Still, Gracie's story brought tears to my eyes, and the conditions repeatedly described for the multitude of puppy mills that have been raided absolutely horrified me. This is a good book to teach people about the dangers of buying dogs through pet stores and disreputable breeders.
January 17, 2013
Although this book was very different from what I expected, because it had more information on puppy mills in general and was not 100% about Gracie, I enjoyed it. I found the information on puppy mills very disturbing and difficult to read, but it is necessary to know that this stuff is going on out there. We can't hide from things we wish weren't true, and the only way to get rid of them is to publicize the conditions at these awful places. Gracie sounds like an awesome dog and I'm happy that she was able to learn to enjoy her life.
July 14, 2014
Carol Bradley does a great job not only telling Gracie's story but also telling of puppy mills, legislation in PA, and Gracie's breeder. When combined it is a much more complete than just the story of one dog and her recovery. The story is well told and captivating.
I picked up this book because we adopted a puppy mill mom and we wanted to find something about the recovery process for these dogs. But I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs or wants to know more about puppy mills or dog psychology.
I picked up this book because we adopted a puppy mill mom and we wanted to find something about the recovery process for these dogs. But I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs or wants to know more about puppy mills or dog psychology.
June 2, 2010
Quote from book: "To the surprise of many, Amish farmers admitted openly to raising dogs as livestock---they confined them to tiny cages and destroyed the breeding animals as soon as they stopped producing. The Post described dogs caged in dimly lit barns---filthy, covered in feces and so broken in spirit they were "unresponsive to a visitor's presence and voice." The stories prompted the passage of puppy lemon law, but did nothing to curtail the poor breeding practices."
May 16, 2013
I only issued a 3 star rating because the synopsis of the book made it seem that the book would be focused on the particular rescue of Gracie, a tri-color cavalier. I have a tri-colored cavalier that I rescued from a puppy mill in Kansas and so I was hoping to compare stories I guess. This book was more about puppy mills and legislation to govern them and try to put bad breeders out of business. It was interesting and I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't what I expected.
October 18, 2010
Heart wrenching account of one dog saved from puppy mill.
I learned a lot about how puppy mills operate, where the majority of them are located, the and effect on the animals that are born there and sold from there. I'll look for all the legislation that I can to
stop these outrageous businesses.
I learned a lot about how puppy mills operate, where the majority of them are located, the and effect on the animals that are born there and sold from there. I'll look for all the legislation that I can to
stop these outrageous businesses.
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