Review: Excellent story and why animal shelters need our help!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2012
I thought Buster's Law was about a dog who ruled an animal shelter. Not so. Buster's Law was enacted in 1999 in New York, making cruelty to a pet a felony. I learned quite a bit about shelters. I had heard about "no kill" shelters. What I didn't realize was that this type of shelter is limited to how many animals it can take, and subsequently, may accept only the adoptable ones.This is about the "open" Mercy Animal Shelter and its dependency on staff, volunteers, veterinary services, and public goodwill. It's told in journal form over a period of six weeks by Lucy Rios, the interim director. You'll read about the daily routines, the caregivers, the trials of dealing with people who decide they no longer want their pet, the triumphs when an animal is adopted, what Lucy is willing to do to avoid euthanasia of an adoptable animal, and the terror campaign against the shelter. You will love Lucy, she's a feisty, no-nonsense woman who cares equally for her staff and the residents of Mercy, be they feathered or furred.There are a few contextual errors (ie: policy instead of police, bazaar instead of bizarre). The format is good and includes an active TOC (by chapter numbers not headings). I couldn't set this aside; I just had to know what came next. A definite keeper!