Paws to Protect: Dogs Saving Lives and Restoring Hope


By Tanya Turgeon

Paws to Protect: Dogs Saving Lives and Restoring Hope
by Sharon Sakson

Review by Tanya Turgeon

Alyson Books, 2008

280 pages
$24.95

As the United States enters a second year with an administration who has put a spotlight on giving back to the community, Sharon Sakson's motivation for writing "Paws to Protect" (a comprehensive look into how dogs serve this country in the military and beyond) is all the more relevant. "Dogs have spent years teaching us the meaning of unconditional love. Now they are teaching us the true, selfless spirit of volunteerism. We have a lot to learn."

Sakson is no rookie when it comes to dog books. "Paws to Protect" is her third exploration of dogs' relationships with humans and to its credit left this reviewer eager to check out the other two. Within the first few pages Sakson presents the first of many interesting facts. Apparently an American Staffordshire Terrier (yes, that's a pit bull) is the most decorated war dog of all times. Which leaves one wondering, how have we let this breed known for it's "sturdiness, dependability, and loyalty" in the 1920s become the most abused breed of today?

According to Sakson's research pitties aren't the only breed ready at a moment's notice to help humankind. She introduces Winchester, an arson detecting Labrador Retriever; Rex, a bomb-sniffing German Shepherd who miraculously survived an IED explosion in Iraq and then went on to help his critically injured handler heal; Trouble, a member of the Beagle Brigade working hand-in-paw with Customs to protect the U.S. ecosystem; and Smoky, a little Yorkshire Terrier found in a war-torn area of New Guinea who earned her stripes by carrying a wire seventy feet through an eight-inch high pipe to restore naval communications.

The list goes on to include numerous Belgian Malinois employed by the police force, Bloodhounds used in search and rescue operations, Jack Russell Terriers seeking out snakes on Guam, and a Rottweiler named Phoenix who sifted through the remains of the World Trade Center.

With the recent tragedy unfolding in Haiti one only need watch the news to catch a glimpse of exactly the kind of service dogs Sakson honors with "Paws to Protect." This book will fascinate, inspire, inform, and thanks to Sakson, make sure these dogs who selflessly do so much for us are not forgotten.

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