Eva Marie L. (babyjulie) - , reviewed on 8/12/2010 + 336 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

It's not often I come across a book which makes me so happy and so mad at the same time. My review may be confusing and for that, if that happens, I'm sorry but I doubt my thoughts are going to come out in a methodical way.
I'll start by saying that the dogs and puppies this woman "found" were, for the most part, in horrendous shape. I use quotations there because I'm not convinced Block did in fact find them. I think she actually went on missions to seek these animals out. I give no opinion on that in particular but there is a marked difference between helping an animal on the side of the road that happened to cross your path and investigating and going into people's yards.
I agree and think what she's doing is great. BUT.... there is a flip side here. She is breaking the law and she's stealing these animals. Now, I for one have been turned away by both the "Humane" Society and the SPCA in Delaware so I can understand her frustration when it comes to those organizations.
I think her heart is in the right place but unfortunately it takes more than just that to be right. I'm sure she's saved many an animals life which is a beautiful thing.
The book left me wondering what would happen if someone like her saw my black Lab Scooter. He wears no collar because he doesn't leave his home without one of his people and he's thinner than he's ever been because of diabetes. Would she automatically think he's being neglected and take him? She would have no right to. In my exact situation she'd be unable to because like I said, the dog doesn't go outside alone. And if she entered my home she'd be met with a baseball bat to her head. My point is that if everyone moved on opinion alone where exactly would society be? There are laws for a reason. I don't agree with all of them but that doesn't mean I don't have to follow them.
The best thing Block did, besides the actual saving of lives, was to document what the police were doing. I only hope she followed up on it (I never heard anything and I think it would have been everywhere if the media got ahold of that video).
I also want to mentioned her "husband" and I use the quotations because a man who acts like him shouldn't be honored enough to be given that title in my opinion. He was the biggest asshole until the very end of the book. I'd like to know how much is really true and how much is made up. He just did that 360 all of a sudden when he was a total prick before? I'm not seeing it happen. If I were Rose Block I'd have left that entire portion of the book out because I'd have been mortified for anyone to know I allowed myself to be treated like a piece of dogshit. He talked to her like she was shit on his shoe. Why do women put up with this? Was he okay with her portrayal of him? Questions, questions, questions.
Canine Caper is a quick book even with the horrible situations concerning the dogs. Those specific parts will break you're heart and as I said in an update, the only person who could read those and not be affected would be someone capable of the kind of abuse mentioned here. At the same time, you probably won't like Block, or her "husband", very much.
The writing itself was very amatuer - what was Delilah Ahrendt's role in this exactly? I would assume Ahrendt helped because Block wasn't an author but if that's the case I couldn't tell.

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