Paws to Protect: Dogs Saving Lives and Restoring Hope Book

"Over and over again one is dazzled by the intelligence, courage and loyalty of these brave military heroes as they perform in life and death situations. And the humans are pretty impressive too."-Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse and Chosen Forever

"I was genuinely surprised how much each one of these stories moved me and that of all creatures dogs remind us what is possible with absolute love and trust."-Dr. Marty Becker, Good Morning America and the author of The Healing Power of Pets.

Dogs have never been so widely used to protect human society as they are today. There are dogs on nearly every police force in the nation, working in immigration, customs, and fire departments—even for the IRS. Dogs are bomb sniffers, guardians, sentries, and arson detectors. They track live people and discover the dead. At border crossings and airports, they sniff for drugs, bombs, and contraband. They act as scouts, trackers, messengers, minefield clearers, booby trap detectors, tunnelers, water patrollers, lifeguards, and explosive seekers. The president of the United States goes nowhere until the Secret Service has had dogs probe the area he will visit. Dogs are tireless and faithful workers, and they don't ask for much in return.

Paws to Protect is packed with true stories about the strong bonds that form between war dogs, police dogs, and Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers as they work together in often dangerous situations. Through author Sharon Sakson's keenly drawn and thoughtful coverage of a subject often featured our news agencies' front pages, Paws to Protect goes to the heart of the ancient dog-human relationship. Many stories in this volume will thrill readers as they cite the heroism of these animals, while others stories will tug at readers' hearts. Compassionate without being sentimental, Sakson's Paws to Protect is straightforward, thorough, and well documented.

Sharon Sakson is a journalist and television producer. She is the author of Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs, and the co-author, with Neil S. Plakcy, of Paws and Reflect: A Special Bond Between Man and Dog.