Rott-N-Literature: The Dog Who Spoke With Gods
I usually tack my "Rott-N-Literature" pick on after the monthy article. However, this month I would like to recommend a very special book and have decided to devote the whole article to it. I have deliberately put off reviewing this book for several months, waiting for it to come out in paperback so maybe more people would be interested. Well, it's finally out in paperback (although I think the hardcover has a nicer cover).
So without further adieu, I present to you the 2001 winner of the Dog Writers Association of America's Merial Human-Animal Bond Award.
Rott-N-Literature
The Dog Who Spoke with Gods by Diane Jessup
I have a confession to make. I have never cried at "Old Yeller," not even when I was a kid. For that matter, I didn't cry during "Bambi" either. Sure, I may have sniffed a little and felt depressed, but no actual tears were involved.
That being said, this book reduced me to a sniveling, bawling idiot. I have never had such an emotional reaction toward any book or movie. Unfortunately, I happened to suffer this breakdown in the car with my mother. When I told her that the waterworks were because of a dog book that I'd just finished, she asked the standard question.
"Did the dog die?"
"No," I sobbed and started crying, again.
My mother probably thought I'd gone off the deep end.
In fact, when I first finished reading the book, all I could do for several minutes was sit in the floor and hug Chelsea.
The Dog Who Spoke with Gods is an excellent, adult-level story that has the power to touch any dog lover. It is the story of Damien, a young pit bull living feral in the wilderness. In the beginning of the story, Damien had become the focus of a scientist studying the survival skills of wild dogs. Tragedy happens when Damien is captured and fitted with a tracking collar. Unbeknownst to the researchers, the collar is so bulky that it interferes with Damien's ability to hunt food. Matters become worse when the collar becomes wedged between two rocks, trapping the dog. By the time the researchers discover what has happened, the dog is near death.
Feeling guilty, the head of the study decides to "make things up" to the dog by arranging for him to have food and board for the rest of his life. He brings Damien back to the college where he works and donates him to the campus research lab, with the understanding that the dog not be used in any lethal experiments.
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