Description
Price: $17.99 - $12.15
(as of Feb 21, 2025 18:26:39 UTC – Details)
Lola was a buckshot-riddled stray, lost on a Memphis highway. Cody was rejected from seven different homes. Ace had been sprayed with mace and left for dead on a train track. They were deemed unadoptable. Untrainable. Unsalvageable. These would become the same dogs America relied on when its worst disasters hit.
In 1995, Wilma Melville volunteered as a canine search-and-rescue (SAR) handler with her Black Labrador Murphy in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. At the time, there were only fifteen FEMA certified SAR dogs in the United States. Believing in the value of these remarkable animals to help save lives, Wilma knew many more were needed in the event of future major disasters. She made a vow to help 168 dogs receive search-and-rescue training in her lifetime—one for every Oklahoma City victim.
Wilma singlehandedly established the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF) to meet this challenge. The first canine candidates—Ana, Dusty, and Harley—were a trio of golden retrievers with behavioral problems so severe the dogs were considered irredeemable and unadoptable. But with patience, discipline, and love applied during training, they proved to have the ability, agility, and stamina to graduate as SARs. Paired with a trio of firefighters, they were among the first responders searching the ruins of the World Trade Center following 9/11—setting the standard for the more than 168 of the SDF’s search-and-rescue dogs that followed.
Beautiful and heart-wrenching, Hero Dogs is the story of one woman’s dream brought to fruition by dedicated volunteers and firefighters—and the bonds they forged with the incredible rescued-turned-rescuer dogs to create one of America’s most vital resources in disaster response.
ASIN : B07CWQXK9Y
Publisher : St. Martin’s Press (August 6, 2024)
Publication date : August 6, 2024
Language : English
File size : 34.1 MB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 311 pages
Customers say
Customers find the book an enjoyable and inspiring read for dog lovers. They appreciate the amazing, resilient, and forgiving dogs featured in the story. The book captures the undaunting spirit and tenacity of the dogs and their handlers. Readers describe the stories as wonderful, interesting, and heartwarming. They praise the well-written and informative content. Overall, customers consider the book educational and thoroughly researched.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Skip –
Excellent read
This is an excellent book! Well written, thoroughly researched, and interesting. It had my attention throughout the entire story. I will be recommending this book to all of my family and friends.
Marburks –
Wow!
This book is everything a dog loving reader would enjoy. The story of starting up a search dog training foundation is inspiring and entertaining. With disasters happening all around the world it is great to know these teams are ready to deploy helping to find survivors. Learning the back story of these dogs and handlers is the best part!Read this, you may even be inspired!
Wine Country Momma –
Loved this book!
Kept my interest throughout, but there were a few times during the 9/11 accounts where I had to take a reading break as it was too intense. Excellent and well written story.
Judith Barnes –
Read this book!
I’m not a big fan of nonfiction books, but HERO DOGS was a treat to read. It’s well-written and is informative, entertaining, and interesting. The color photos are a bonus. It’s a good selection for a book group discussion.
Penny –
Hero Dogs, and the team of people who train them
I had known of the dogs who had gone to Ground Zero after the Twin Towers were destroyed. Now I know their story and background, from training to working the disaster areas. I loved this book. So many people owe their lives to this team of dogs. I would love to read an update on their activities. I used to run my dog in summer dog sports in the US South. Before I ran my dog, a sheltie, I would use my fingers to brush the fur on his back backwards, then pour ice water on the tousled fur. My dog was dry again in about 20 minutes, the evaporation helping to keep him cooler as he worked.
K. Smith –
Dogs are the best
While on a pet therapy visit with my dog, I noticed a resident was reading this book. Of course she started telling me about it and I bought it (kindle) shortly after. Dogs are amazing, resilient, forgiving creatures. I cannot imagine life without them, nor would I want to. These amazing stories bring out hope in the most horrible of conditions. I had to emotionally prepare myself for the 9/11 stories. Still heart wrenching to this day and then seeing the photos brought so many years to my eyes. Thank you to Wilma and her vision and dedication and all the team members, trainers and handlers who made it possible. I only pray they continue to grow and I also hope the handlers get the emotional support (mental health) they need to survive.
M. P. Wilson –
Astounding
Hero Dogs, the story of the foundation and growth of the Search Dog Foundation, the vision of one woman, is a testimony to determination and dedication. The stories of the rescue dogs who form the foundation of the organization are inspiring to anyone who believes that all dogs are salvageable with love and the right training.Remembering the news briefs of the disasters related in the book, it was clear that, even the most conscientious reports did not contain the true horror of the situation. The dedication of the heroic dogs and their equally dedicated and heroic handlers was truly inspiring.
Nelda –
Inspirational
This was an inspirational story of a woman’s passion for serving others through training rejected dogs for people rescue in earthquakes, war, and terrorism. Her venture went from a fledgling operation of 1 dog and almost no donations to nearly 200 dogs and paid staff to date. The dogs, staff, and founder Wilma Melville are inspiring. The dogs have been to 9-11 and earthquakes in Haiti, rescuing two women under the rubble in the latter. They were destined to be found–too late! This is an easy and inspirational read.
William E. Reed –
The dedication of this woman and her subsequent development of a staff of professionals equally dedicated was magnificent. The stars of course were the dogs themselves and their individual stories!
MAE –
What an interesting book. My only complaint it was too short. I would like to have read more. Enjoyed very much.
R Haren –
Amazing story filled with such devotion, riveting true life experiences. Should be mandatory reading worldwide these people are heroes and legends.