Scent of the Missing by Susannah Charleson

Welcome back, insatiable readers!

Its Tuesday....yay!

Why yay?

Well, it's one day behind us in the days of the week we usually associate to work, yesterday's post featured a great little mystery with a chance for you to win a copy all your own, and today we are continuing the bookish and dog loving fun!  Sound good?  I sure hope so because you really don't want to miss out on the title reviewed today as it's the perfect fit for dog lovers round the world as well as those curious about how their utilization in rescue efforts came to be...in my opinion at least.  Today's featured book of choice is....

Scent of the Missing:

Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog

by

Susannah Charleson

Susannah Charleson...dog lover, pilot....search and rescue team member?  Yep.  You read that right.  Who did you think made up the amazing teams of human/animal search duos around the country...paid professionals?  Well, professional they are after the rigorous training both they and their canine companions are put through (you wouldn't believe how many hours are put into it and the scenarios practiced!), but payment comes more in a successful mission than it does in actual dollars.  This is not a "task" someone chooses because they want to be rich....it is a path chosen because they want to DO GOOD for others.  Susannah Charleson felt that draw and began working as the third point in a search and rescue team.  This book is the story of her journey from assistant to full fledged handler and the handful of a partner she choice (or perhaps that chose her) to accompany her on this journey....

Inspiring, educational, touching....and FUNNY!  All words perfectly suited to describing this wonderful book.  I knew the moment I saw the cover that I had to read it one day.  You see, despite the fact that I have several wonderful, would-never-trade-them-for-the-world fuzzy friends of my own....I've always wanted a Golden Retriever.  Why?  I'm not certain...I think I've always loved their look, their demeanor, and the way they seem to be the perfect fit as a family dog...although that last bit could be a applied to ANY dog that that chooses you as their forever home.  But I digress....before I get too into it, let me answer a question you may be harboring....


Why is this book being featured on a Tuesday you might ask...or at least you would if you regularly visit the site.  You see, normally this day belongs to the 'Taste Testing Tuesday' post and while it may post as well today with a sampling of my current reads (gotta share the bookish fun), the book we are focusing on today has stolen the spotlight on more than one occasion.  It seems that being a dog lover I can totally see my pups in some of the situations the author describes as Puzzle is growing up and the laughter over it can be shared with anyone and everyone.  For two of the more memorable ones shared in a teaser post, click here or here.  Don't feel like clicking around the site?  Fine, be that way.  Just kidding.  I couldn't let this one go without one last share from it's fabulous pages.  This one has to be read with the enthusiasm the scene calls to mind.  Imagine the utter joy a child feels when seeing a new toy and then getting to play with it....that's the level of excitement needed for this quote.  It's a few sentences, but totally worth the share.  Here we go....

Puzzle's nap aboard the airplane has refreshed her, and she has entered the house all bounding energy and curiosity.  It takes her only moments to put her nose to the butt of every Pom that rushes forward to inspect her, to flush a cat from the laundry basket, and to knock over a row of plastic bottles I have set aside for recycling.  Now she has suddenly discovered the stuffed lobster that's made the trip with us, and she takes the over-large toy in her mouth, rushing up to little Sophie with it, shaking it meaningfully:  booga-booga-booga, lobster-booga!  Sophie honks and skitters, her dark eyes wide.  -- pg 41

ROTFL!  -wipes tear from eye- Whew!  See what I mean?  Just imagine the situation...bounding yellow puppy, bigger than the Pomeranian's jumping around making sure it's known she has this large red toy under control, no worries, you see, you see?  *laughs some more*  Okay, I think I've composed myself enough to continue....

In a nutshell, this is a wonderfully touching look at canine search and rescue teams straight from the source...both handler AND dog!  Author Susannah Charleson takes you behind the scenes of events that draw their own amount of attention and tells it like it is. From the head lining stories of national tragedies to the small town disappearances big in their own way (because let's face it, a missing person in our town is just as important to us as one being broadcast across the nation...am I right?), readers are welcomed into their "special club" and given a front row seat to the highs and lows experienced in their daily calls.

You get to meet teams with years of experience that show us what a seasoned "sniffer" can do, as well as meet, greet and watch as one pup grows from precocious puppy to certified search and rescue dog...with all the antics along the way. Yes there are quite a few antics, some that I've mentioned, some that I haven't.  They not only provide more detail and depth to the story, but also show that Puzzle is underneath it all a regular dog.  Her daily interactions with Susannah and her crew of Pom's (lovably cute and funny Pomeranians), her training sessions and choice of motivation, and so much more go into creating the full picture view of this fuzzy girl.  Though Puzzle only truly gets into her first actual search at book's end, the journey to get to that said search is a story in and of itself making this a memorable read. Highly recommended for those pet lovers as well as anyone wanting a better understanding of all the work that goes into creating a successful search and rescue team...


Review copy courtesy of Julie Harabedian at FSB Associates.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this great online marketing company and their fabulous bookish features, visit their website or follow along on Twitter (1, 2, or 3)!  To learn more about the author and fuzzy friend Puzzle, check out their website by clicking here (really nice set up too...beautiful color choice) or see them as listed on the Mark 9 Search and Rescure site.

Until next time...happy reading!