cover image Where the Lost Dogs Go: A Story of Love, Search, and the Power of Reunion

Where the Lost Dogs Go: A Story of Love, Search, and the Power of Reunion

Susannah Charleston. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27 (320p) ISBN 978-1-328-99505-6

A fitting sequel to 2011’s Scent of the Missing, about training dogs to search for humans, this moving memoir from Charleston (The Possibility of Dogs) focuses on another aspect of canine search and rescue: finding other dogs who run or wander off. It turns out that her golden retriever, Puzzle, was not only a gifted searcher for humans, but also possessed a unique canine charisma: lost dogs would emerge from hiding to greet her. That’s a highly useful skill, Charleston notes, considering that, according to the American Humane Society, roughly 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen every year. Charleston suffuses her tale with insight and well-earned sentiment, skillfully weaving in anecdotes of searches for lost dogs with those of her blossoming relationship with a new addition to her household, rescued Maltese-poodle mix Ace. She also offers sound advice to pet owners on how to increase the odds of their pet being found with some common sense tips, such as securing back yards and updating tags and microchips. This inspiring and informative work will resonate with pet lovers everywhere. Agent: Jim Hornfischer, Hornfischer Literary Management. (June)