It’s a new book by Dean Koontz – wait, don’t check out now, this isn’t another one of my book reviews…
Dean seems to have taken a creative route on educating his readers about puppy mills and how cruelly animals are treated. Some dogs are put in small cages at the age of 6 months and then bred immediately. They aren’t taken care of, but instead treated like machines that just crank out puppies which are then sold to pet stores and sometimes sold in newspapers as “Farm-bred”.
In an interesting story about a young girl who rescues Golden Retrievers Dean continues to detail how cruelly some animals are treated. One animal had toe nails that had grown so long that they curled under the dogs feet and into the soles causing unbearable pain. Even after she was rescued and treated she had trouble walking due to atrophied muscles. In time she recovered but was still hesitant to play.
I thought the timing of this book was interesting since Ellen Degeneres recently had her dog taken away from her by the adoption agency that she had gotten it from. Apparently she had violated some of the rules the agency had set forth and they had made an example out of her. After reading some of what Dean has written, and which I am sure is more fact than fiction, I can see why these people who go through great lengths to rescue dogs can become so vigilant about the dogs being treated well.
Anyway, Dean is a Golden Retriever lover and he has written many books with these dogs in them. It’s got me to thinking… maybe I should get a Golden? If they really are such amazing wonderful dogs then I should get one. What about you, what kind of dog do you want?
australian shephard! beautiful dogs! want one now! better than goldens! they cook you dinner and make fresh squeezed limonade. you cant get that time of loyalty and service from a golden!
Retrievers are wonderful dogs! I want a Pug though and am willing everything I have into wishing for one for Christmas. (even though I know it won’t happen) I also want another wolf hybrid.
What kind of dog do I want? I got one, believe it or not a Golden Retriever named Einstein after the first book I ever read of Koontz’s.
Approximately 20 years ago I read “Watchers” and it became one of my favorite books. I love the main character, Einstein a genetically designed golden retriever with exceptional intelligence. At the time I had only gotten small dogs and didn’t think to much about a big canine!! Approximately 17 years later, while going through an antique book shop in Luray, Virginia, I came across an old copy of “Watchers”. Our dachshund was about 16 at the time and we were thinking of getting another dog. After reading the book again and researchingon the internet, a golden was our choice. Our Einstein was about a year old, when we lost our little Wolfie. I can’t begin to express how much Einstein has meant to us. He is the most loving and kindest dog I have ever seen. He is smart (well I have to admit not as smart as the Einstein in “Watchers”) but wow does he surprise us. He had become a vital part of our lives, has actually changed our lives. We are now a part of the Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue Organization. I could not ever possibly thank Dean Koontz enough for his book “Watchers” and it’s inspiration in making us decide to get a Golden. I just couldn’t wait until his newest book, The Darkest Evening of the Year came out and I wasn’t disappointed. If you want to have a dog than looks up at you with the most beautiful brown eyes, with unconditional love that goes deeper than you could imagine, then a golden is for you. Just make sure you love them just as much, because it would hurt them tremendously if you didn’t.