Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love
Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin

The blurb:
In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen--one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue--ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy's charms, and decided to take him home.

Heartwarming and redemptive, OOGY is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him "Oogy" (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own.

Review:
Oogy is the fourth book that I've read about dogs and humane treatment of animals  recently.  More than anything, Oogy is a book about the friendship and love between a dog and his person.  Larry Levin talks about how Oogy was first discovered and how he came into their lives. It's hard to imagine how a puppy at 2 months was used as bait and left for dead - and then survived without losing his warm, caring nature. 

That's what happened to Oogy. Mistaken for a pitbull mix, Oogy was treated as "bait" and left for dead.  When he was found,  the doctors didn't expect him to survive and he was lucky that he received the lifesaving surgery he did.  Had he been brought to a regular shelter,  a dog that had suffered such trauma would have been put down.  But I'm not here to write about the economics of it all.  Just to share a little about Oogy's story and the book that is a celebration of his friendship with the Levin family.

If you enjoy books about doglovers and their pets - Oogy is a heartwarming and touching read.  Although there aren't much twists and turns, the book has drama of its own.

ISBN-10: 9780446546317 - Hardcover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 12, 2010), 224 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
Larry Levin was born in Philadelphia and has lived in various parts of the country, including New England and the Pacific Northwest, before returning to the Philadelphia area.  He ha s been a lawyer for 30 years and is now in private practice.  In 1982, he married Jennifer Berke, an attorney.  Their sons, Noah and Dan, were born in 1990. This is Larry's first book.

1 comment:

  1. I JUST FINISHED READING OOGY & I LOVED IT. THANK YOU LARRY LEVIN FOR TELLING US HIS STORY. IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME THAT FOR EVERY BAD PERSON DOING TERRRIBLE THINGS TO AN ANIMAL THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THE LEVIN'S WHO LOVE & CHERISH THE LIFE OF AN ABUSED DOG. BLESS THEM & OOGY.

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