Overview

Greyhounds, bred to be the fastest racing dogs on earth, are streaks of lightning. Beautiful, astonishing creatures, countless numbers of them disappear each year once they can no longer compete and win. The Dogs of Avalon introduces us to the strong-willed Marion Fitzgibbon, born in rural Ireland, where animals are valued only for their utility. But Fitzgibbon believes that suffering is felt by all creatures, and she champions the cause of strays, baffling those around her-including her family-as she and a group of local women rescue any animal in need and taking on increasingly risky missions. When Fitzgibbon becomes head of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and focuses on the cause of the greyhound, she faces an entrenched racing industry protected by money and power. She joins forces with an American greyhound activist, a foxhunter's wife, a British lady, and an influential German animal rescuer to create an international network to find these animals homes, confront the racing industry, and provide safe havens where animals can live in peace. The Dogs of Avalon brings forward the people on the other side of the tracks-Irish Travellers (a people whose Celtic history goes back centuries), dogmen who hope to win big-together with a host of animals on two continents-circus tigers in Ireland, wild monkeys in the Yucatan, dolphins in a marine animal park in Florida, and one very special Irish sight hound in New Jersey named Lily. In this potent David and Goliath story, Schenone's journey helps us understand our deep connection to animals and gives us inspiration in the form of the unforgettable Fitzgibbon, who grapples with compassion and activism and shows the difference we are all capable of making in the world.

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Reviews

This is a fascinating history of how individuals can make a real difference to animals' lives. -- Dogs Monthly

"""This is a fascinating history of how individuals can make a real difference to animals' lives."" -- Dogs Monthly ""Schenone movingly describes the pioneers who took care of 'surplus' greyhounds, and how the world has finally come to its senses regarding how we treat these sensitive animals."" -- Frans de Waal ""If I had to recommend just one of the titles of this feature, it would be The Dogs of Avalon."" -- 2017 Book of the Year - Dogs Today"

A gem. Dogs of Avalon is a life enriching game-changer that deserves a broad global audience. It is that good. -- Marc Bekoff, author of The Animals' Agenda Schenone movingly describes the pioneers who took care of 'surplus' greyhounds, and how the world has finally come to its senses regarding how we treat these sensitive animals. -- Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? Like a greyhound streaking after her prey, Laura Schenone beautifully and inexorably pursues the story of the singular Marion Fitzgibbon and her crusade to rescue Ireland's greyhounds from corporate cruelty... The Dogs of Avalon is about dogs, yes, but it is also an exquisite exploration of empathy, love, and the meaning of life. -- Dale Russakoff, author of The Prize A beautifully written story of the people who devote their lives to saving greyhounds in the most unlikely of places. It is a testament to the bonds that can form between dog and human. -- Gregory Berns, author of How Dogs Love Us An absolutely stunning book and an astonishing work of reporting. I love the complete honesty that suffuses it. -- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of The Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving It may even convince you that we become greater human beings when we show compassion to all the earth's creatures. An incredible journey chronicled with journalistic integrity that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved an animal. -- Allen and Linda Anderson, founders of Angel Animals Network, New York Times-bestselling authors of A Dog Named Leaf: The Hero from Heaven Who Saved My Life

Author Information

Laura Schenone is the author of The Dogs of Avalon, the James Beard Award-winning A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove and The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. She writes for Saveur, New Jersey Monthly, and other magazines. She lives in New Jersey with her family and dog Lily.

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