Product Description

Every year, millions of dogs are abandoned-at animal shelters, racetracks, or on the side of the road. Many of these animals end their days without ever knowing a caring human hand, but some are fortunate enough to be found and given a second chance. And these dogs, often rescued from death's door, seem to have even more than the usual canine capacity for love and loyalty. Second Chances, is full of wonderful photos and words by people who have adopted dogs in myriad ways. Celebrities from Julio Iglesias, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Donna Shalala, and Oscar de la Renta to everyday heroes who have found dogs--from sleek greyhounds to scruffy mix-breeds--that have become service dogs, protectors, and friends, offering solace, aid, companionship and inspiration.

SECOND CHANCES is a moving tribute to the power of love between people and dogs-how that love has transformed dogs who were lost, and the people who were lucky enough to find them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #684568 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Review

From the Back Cover
Millions of dogs and puppies are abandoned each year, resulting in a world filled with stray dogs of all breeds and sizes. Many of these strays come to a bad end, but every now and then a stray dog is found by a compassionate person – whether picked up on the street or picked out from an animal shelter – and given a second chance. Some of these dogs are lame, blind, ill or simply unwanted. These dogs are special. And so are the people who have chosen to give them a second chance. Found dogs seem to be especially grateful, loyal, and loving. They, who have sometimes been rescued from death's door, become beloved members of families, giving affection, companionship, and solace. They become productive members of society as service dogs, therapy dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs themselves. Observers might say that these dogs are lucky, but more often the people who have adopted them think that they are the lucky ones.
Second Chances is full of wonderful photos and words by people who have given dogs a second chance. Celebrities from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Oscar de la Renta and everyday heroes who have found dogs of all sorts – from sleek greyhounds to scruffy mutts – share their tales of discovery and canine-human friendship.
Second Chances is a tribute to these extraordinary dogs and their people. It is a testimony to the gift of love and salvation. And, in each case, it is difficult to say just who has saved whom.

About the Author
ELISE LUFKIN has been involved with dogs all her life. For many years she worked with various animal shelters, socializing dogs to make them better candidates for adoption. She has been active in promoting humane education projects. Lufkin was one of the founders of New York City's Great American Mutt Show, a hilarious annual event promoting public awareness of the value of adopting mixed breed, unwanted and abandoned animals. She and her dog, Posy, are active in a Pet Partners program and regularly visit residents at a nearby nursing home. They live in the mountains of central Idaho.

DIANA WALKER is a contract photographer for Time magazine. Her images have won prizes and have appeared in many major publications including People, Life, The New York Times Magazine and Paris Match. She is the author of Public & Private: Twenty Years Photographing the Presidency. Her work can be found in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, the Chicago Art Institute, the Minneapolis Museum of Art, and the Center For American History at the University of Texas. She photographed people and their dogs for Found Dogs, the prequel to Second Chances. She lives in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

An Excellent sequel to Found Dogs : Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet
I originally bought Found Dogs : Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet and fell in love with the book. One of our kids Miles is a rescue dog and I can definitely relate to the stories in that book and this sequel.

This book is twice as big as the first and the stories are just wonderful. The stories are pretty much everyday people telling their tales of giving dogs a second chance at a great life. It made me feel great to know that there are others in this world who take care of their dogs as much and sometimes as nutty as my husband and I do :). If you've got a furry friend, this book is SO worth it - another 2 paws up from this pack!

goD's dogs win in this one!
rockysfunddogrsq - Author of Dogs' Letters to goD: Rescued Dogs Talk to the Creator (available here on Amazon). As an active member of the dog rescue community, this book made my heart soar with hope for our beloved canine companions and with pride in the people who chose the adoption option when searching for a companion. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The photos are excellent and touch the heart. The text is uplifting, but does not spare the reader from the sometimes harrowing and heartrending circumstances that lead to these "second chances". A must read!

As heartwarming as the first book !
Annother wonderful and heartwarming account of dogs who grabbed their " Second Chance ". If you have read the Elise Lufkins and Diana Walkers first book, you do not want to miss this one. The storys a even more detailed, and the thought that there are people who care so much seem to make life in general a bit more worhtwhile. Again Diana Walker provided photos that touch your soul, and the passion and love for their subject is in every of Mr. Lufkins words.
I did get my dog from a local shelter and can only join in the praise of loyalty and love that these dogs give us. Get this book and share the storys - and even you might consider that a stray can give you heaven on earth - and you can do the same for him !!!