Inside Abandoned: Jacks

It is almost October, which is National Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Today, I am sharing an individual dog’s photographs and story from my forthcoming book, ABANDONED: Chronicling the Journeys of Once-Forsaken Dogs, released on October 1, 2024.

In ABANDONED, each dog’s story is emblematic of the 2.2 million dog adoptions that take place in this country each year—but they are also a reminder that due to our dog overpopulation crisis, 1 million rescues do not result in adoption annually.

Pictured immediately above on the left is Jacks’ photograph before adoption; and pictured on the right is Jacks’ photograph after adoption. Jacks was renamed “Taco.” Roughly one year separates the two above photographs.

In the Autumn of 2014, Jacks, an English Bulldog, was surrendered to a shelter by his owner and then transferred to a rescue organization. Obviously underweight, it was noted that he had not been fed regularly. 

After about a month in the rescue, he was adopted and renamed “Taco.” “Taco has had a huge impact on our lives,” said his new human companion a year later. “He is the definition of love. He loves all people, he loves all dogs, and he loves everything.”

Jacks/Taco is just one example from ABANDONED illustrating how dog rescue and adoption not only changes the lives of the dogs, but it simultaneously enriches the lives of the human companions as well. My sincere hope is that ABANDONED helps compel people to consider dog rescue and adoption, helping many dogs in need find permanent, loving homes, especially with our current dog overpopulation crisis in this country.

31 people endorsed ABANDONED including: Dr. Jane Goodall, Sally Mann, Susan Orlean, and John Grogan, to name a few, along with other New York Times bestselling authors, artists, and Presidents of large dog rescue and animal welfare organizations. 

And, if you have not pre-ordered your copy of ABANDONED, I hope you will consider ordering ABANDONED today, as pre-orders are vital for authors and to the book’s success! Many thanks for your support!

I am donating a portion of my royalties, earned from the sales of this book, to the SPCA International, helping dogs in need around the globe. You can read more here and here.