Book Review: #LOYAL from National Geographic & #TLCBookTours

I was contacted by TLC Book Tours and offered the chance to read and review "Loyal: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs" It's rare to have a solicited post on Pooch Smooches, but this book called to me so I asked them to please send me a copy.

About LOYAL

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (March 7, 2017)

"This special collection of dog stories and photographs features four-legged heroes who have worked side by side with soldiers, searched the wreckage of natural and man-made disasters, changed families' lives through emotional support, and administered aid around the world and at home in the United States. Heartwarming photographs and touching anecdotes bring to life thirty-eight caring canines who have served the people who mean the most to them, from a German Shepherd who leads a blind man on his marathon training mission to a belly rub-loving Sheltie who supports at-risk youth in the classroom. For anyone who has experienced the extraordinary affection of a dog, Loyal is a lasting celebration of the joys of canine companionship."

When the book arrived, I got my reading glasses out and got down to reading.

 
Rita expressed an interest in the book as well.

We both give the book "two dew claws up"!


You know I'm a sucker for a dog book, so it's probably no real surprise that I liked this book. The things I liked most about it were:

• The gorgeous photos of each dog. Every story has at least one photo of the dog, allowing you to see all these gorgeous pups, some of them while at work. The pictures and the writing make you fall in love with the personalities of each of these pooches.
• The fact that so many of the stories involved adopted animals. I always love a good rescue story!
• The unique nature of many of the stories. Of course you expect stories of awesome therapy dogs in a book like this, but there are also dogs doing really unusual things. For example, there's the story of Alli, who is part of the "Conservation Canines" - a group of dogs trained to locate endangered species in the wilderness so they can be identified and studied. How cool is that?!

Loyal would make a great addition to your own dog book collection, or be a thoughtful gift for a dog-loving friend.

About the author, Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

Rebecca Ascher-Walsh is a writer who specializes in celebrity and lifestyle coverage, but who also loves dogs and telling stories about amazing animals. She contributes to many newspapers and national magazines including Entertainment Weekly, Adweek, and the Los Angeles Times. She is a volunteer at a high-kill shelter in Manhattan and a founding director of the Deja Foundation, devoted to funding the medical care and training costs of dogs rescued from high-kill shelters.

Thanks!
Thank you to the author for writing such a lovely book and sharing these stories, and thank you to TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy.

Get your copy here:

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Note: I was provided one free copy of the book to read/review. The opinions expressed are my own.