Lisa Duffy-Korpics

Tales from a Dog Catcher

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Tales from a Dog Catcher is based on the author's experiences in a smallish city in the northern suburbs of NYC. Reminiscent of both All Creatures Great and Small and Marley & Me, it offers the stories of everyday people who, whether by accident or design, come into contact with the sad, funny, and often profound world of an animal control officer. It both entertains and charms, and is funny, touching, and heart-breaking by turns. These are real-life stories about people and their experiences with animals.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Globe Pequot Press
• Seitenzahl: 264
• Erscheinungstermin: April 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 226mm x 152mm x 23mm
• Gewicht: 318g
• ISBN-13: 9781599214986
• ISBN-10: 1599214989
• Artikelnr.: 25837557

Autorenporträt

Lisa Duffy-Korpics, a writer and a high school social studies teacher, was previously an animal control officer. Her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's Soul and four other Chicken Soup books. She lives in Orange County, New York.

Inhaltsangabe

Table of Contents My Fair CharlieA badly behaved wild cat accidentally
spends a few uninvited months of "rehab" on top of a kitchen cabinet to
prepare for a homecoming no one could ever predict, and a recently widowed
woman discovers that sometimes what you need can be exactly what you
thought you didn't. Bless the Beasts and the ChildrenA mysterious white dog
whose life spent at a convent meets a tragic end only to reappear later to
those who have faith. The Few, The Proud, The PekingeseWhen this bad dog
bites the hand that feeds him, his owners finally have him taken away, But
the question remains; are there really bad dogs...or just bad people? A
former Marine police Sergeant who rules his shift straight by the book
finds that in some matters ...it's best to rule with your heart. Rescued by
Love (previously published in Chicken Soup for the Cat & Dog Lover's
Soul)When a developmentally disabled man finds that he can not have his dog
in public housing, he chooses to live in a car. His brave decision and
selfless actionsillustrate that sometimes those least able in our society,
are the real role modelsThe Lions of Bear MountainA recent transplant from
New York City who incorrectly assumes that she lives in the wilderness,
insists that the wild animal trapped in her garage could be a mountain
lion. Bad colds and bad attitudes abound until I realize that getting to
know about a new neighborhood can be the difference between a place where
you live...and a place where you're home.He Who Barks LastA decade's long
feud between two long time enemies, who use each other's dogs to hurt each
other, culminates in a dramatic courtroom battle where they unwittingly end
up helping each other. Groundhog DayStruggling with grief from the recent
death of his wife, the task of calling the department to pick up a dead
animal from the parking lot outside his building seems to give the usually
jovial building superintendent even more reasons to be depressed. When the
dead groundhog suddenly comes back to life, unsecured in my car, the
sadness is lifted a bit when he realizes that it is the first time he has
laughed since his wife had diedThe Serial Killer of Main StreetA black and
white Great Dane named Sammy may be responsible for a canine crime wave.
Can a mentally imbalanced dog actually entice other dogs into the middle of
a busy main street with the intent to kill? The extreme measures I go
through to try and prove this theory and stop Sammy before he targets his
next victim meet with mixed results and also causes some questions about my
own mental state!Odd BlessingsA call to surrender 23 cats turns into a
surprising revelation that this elderly woman unknowingly created a turning
point years before, that shaped my views on life forever, however, she will
never remember. For Every Cat there is a Reason (previously published in
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul)In the busy world of city government,
an orphaned kitten brings an entire police department and city court
together to ensure her survival. Of Moons and MinksA language barrier, a
culture barrier and much confusion help to create a situation where a woman
ends up watering her cats like plants. All ends well, save for some damp
kittens, but the laughter continues for miles.Buster's Last Stand
(previously published in Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul)The final
adventure of an aging bulldog known for terrorizing the neighborhood takes
him to a high school where he holds an entire hallway filled with students
hostage while his seemingly emotionless owner illustrates that appearances;
both human and canine, can be deceiving. His Master's VoiceWhen a loyal
Schnauzer is separated from his beloved owner by the man's death, the next
of kin make a decision about the dog's fate that is unacceptable to many
members of the police department. In a race against time, everyone
eventually becomes involved trying to beat the clock so that a day that
began with the tragedy of one death, does not end with two.The Protest
MarchIt's the day before Thanksgiving and a large flock of turkeys have
decided to take their grievances to the street. Could they possibly know
the meaning of the holiday? Is it just a coincidence? Realizing that city
drivers may not be prepared for this spectacle, it's a race to bottom of a
long, steep hill to try and stop them before they get to the road and
become turkey salad.The Bonds of EarthLife can change in a moment. The
Challenger Shuttle disaster convinces an elderly woman who shares her home
with her aging rescued cats to prepare for a time when she will no longer
be here to care for them. Realizing that her surviving relatives would not
understand how important they are to her, she reaches out for help.
Sentenced by ManA beautiful large German Shepherd is declared a dangerous
dog after attacking a child. This powerful dog seems incredibly aggressive
with everyone, except for me. After spending the entire day with this dog,
I find that I have mixed feelings about his temperament. After some
investigation I find that he had been abused since he was a puppy,
including by the child he had bitten. He was non-adoptable due to his
aggression and history, yet the reasons for his behavior were easy to
understand. During the course of the day, I become attached to this
beautiful and sad animal who is peaceful in my presence. Putting it off as
long as I can, my hands tied by the law, I begin the journey to the animal
shelter where at the end of this journey he will euthanized. The Luckiest
DuckWhen a cruel prank results in a duck at the riverfront park losing a
leg, the rest of the flock rejects him. The time taken to find an
appropriate place for him to recover and adjust to his new situation runs
into the evening which means, much to the dismay of the night shift and the
large amount of prisoners arrested in a raid, that this duck is doing some
jail time.When it Wasn't FateA call to a simple noise complaint on July 4th
ends up being much more than expected when a dying man surrenders his
beloved cat to be taken to a better home than the one he will be leaving
behind. I have great difficulty handling the situation until this
incredible man teaches me about acceptance...and faith.The Randy RaccoonsA
mysterious blonde woman with dark glasses breaks up the boredom of a quiet
day at the police station by filing a complaint about a "Peeping Tom". When
she insists on speaking to the animal control officer, everyone's
surprised...until she describes just who the "peepers" are. Twilight TimeA
rough edged man, who has shared his life with his beloved Alaskan Malamute
for over 20 years, must come to terms with the fact that his dog is dying.
His difficulty and final acceptance of this prove that sometimes the
hardest way to love is by letting go.Karma and Get MeA woman insists that
the stray dog in her yard is her reincarnated husband. When After weeks of
extreme measures to ensure that this dog is not lost so she could adopt
him, I find that, due to the fact that she had had a miserable marriage,
she is now relishing the opportunity to have him taken away!Sometimes It
Chooses YouI am not too happy when the Chief of Police forces me into a
public relations presentation to a group of students at the high school. To
make matters worse, upon arriving at the school I find that this is a
special class for students with a history of difficult behavior. After a
few awkward moments, I find that I seem to be at ease, and even enjoying,
the experience. Surprised at how well it went, and drawn to these engaging
teenagers, I realize that sometimes what you are meant to do with your life
is not always something that you choose. Sometimes it chooses you.