Product Description

About the Book How does one fully explain the symbiotic relationship between dog handlers and their dogs? Officers and their dogs mesh into a solid unit that thinks and anticipates as one as they communicate many times in unspoken words. By necessity, theirs is an extremely tight bond. This book is a window into those relationships and the lives of K-9s. It showcases fifteen memorable police and search and rescue dogs and presents their unforgettable stories. A twenty-year search for the most heart-warming stories provides a chronicle that gives insight into an often personal world the public seldom sees. Meet K-9 Argus who against all odds searched for an abandoned newborn in the rugged Canadian wilderness. K-9 Alley of Maryland whose own pain never stopped her from searching for Pentagon victims of 9/11 and K-9 Sirius of the New York Port Authority, the only dog lost at the World Trade Center, will both be remembered for their heroism. K-9 Major from Minnesota and K-9 Luke II from Ohio, two of the most unlikely dogs to reach the pinnacle of success, exemplify the dedication and superb training necessary to assure a place on the often-mean streets to protect the public. The loss of a valued police dog, K-9 Ingo from Tennessee, and the hazards military working dogs such as K-9 Rex face every day in foreign lands, bring a whole new respect for the dogs and their handlers. And as one Ohio dog, K-9 Midge, has demonstrated, sometimes the most successful dog paws do not fit the "big dog" mold. The story of these dogs and many others is told with poignancy and sometime humor clearing up any misconceptions anyone might have about the nature and duties of today's K-9s. A must read for anyone who has ever loved a dog.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #741669 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-19
• Released on: 2007-12-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 228 pages

About the Author
About the Author Marilyn Jeffers Walton is a graduate of The Ohio State University. She has written six books for children, including the successful Celebration Series for Raintree-Steck-Vaughn. Her book, Chameleons' Rainbow, won a Children's Choice award in 1986. She is the author of Rhapsody in Junk-A Daughter's Return to Germany to Finish Her Father's Story. She and her husband, a retired Miami University professor, raised three sons in Oxford, Ohio, where they currently reside. She has always loved dogs including her own canines, Willie, Smokey and a German shepherd mix and K-9 wannabe, Sandy.

Customer Reviews

A Great Read
I read this book in one sitting. I share this author's love for animals and found myself caught up in these stories of canine heroism and courage. A heart warming book that anyone who loves animals will enjoy. (And if you don't love animals, read it anyway; you will when you are done).

Heartfelt book about K-9's
Although Marilyn Jeffers Walton is not a search and rescue or a police dog handler, she has spent many years attending regional police dog trials. At the trials, she met and became friends with many K-9 handlers who shared stories about their dogs with her. This, coupled with her love of German Shepherd Dogs sparked her research into the lives that they lead. She wrote Badge on My Collar hoping to enlighten the general public as well as animal shelters.
Badge on My Collar gives the reader a unique collection of true stories about police dogs, one search and rescue dog and one military dog. What I liked about this book is that it shows the reader the successes and failures that police K-9 handlers experience in their training and selection of dogs. Without getting overly dramatic or emotional, Ms. Walton lets us share the joy, pride and grief that the handlers experience living and working with their dogs. She has selected specific incidents for each dog in order to show the reader how the dogs work and the dangers they face. The message about how valuable these dogs are to the police departments comes across in each story.
Ms. Walton is an award winning children's book writer and this was evident in her writing style for this book. She was able to present the material in a direct, simple and informative manner, making it easy for the young reader to enjoy. Although some of the stories have a sad ending, Ms. Walton handles it in a way that does not traumatize the reader. The main message that comes through is the depth of the bond that exists between working dogs and their handlers. This is a fun and informative book for the entire family.