A Dog's Devotion

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 08 Oct 2022

“I learned a lot reading this. The first hand accounts are interesting. Anyone can enjoy this, including those considering working in a k9 unit.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!”–Paul V, consumer reviewer

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 08 Sep 2022

“Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dogs are the best. And combining well trained search and rescue dogs with their handlers and other pros, they make a great team.

Each of the stories in this book show different types of searches the teams participated in. The pictures were definitely an added bonus.

I live vicariously through these SARS teams and their amazing dogs.”–Kelly Long, Librarian at Boise Public Library

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 16 Aug 2022

“Suzanne and her dog Keb do search and rescue in Washington state. I learned that there are different kinds of search dogs. There are some trained to alert on human remains. Air scent dogs “find airborne particles carrying the scent of humans,” searching large areas from 50-100 acres, while trailing dogs follow a scent from, for example, a piece of the missing person’s clothing. Suzanne takes us through her and her S&R dog Keb’s grueling assignments, such as looking for survivors of a landslide, or searches for murder victims and missing hikers. The amazing thing is that these S&R teams are volunteers; no one is paid for the time and effort they put in for searches and training. Unfortunately, some of the teams have a lot of drama, as people who think they have the best dogs or the best training ideas clash with others–very disappointing for those who just want to help, and not be drawn into politics and power struggles. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this ARC.“–L. Tilden, retired librarian

NetGalley Review: 4 stars

Last updated on 26 Sep 2022

“This is a really good effort by Suzanne Elshult. My life’s work is centered around canines and my love for them. I think sometimes working with them can be romanticized a bit. It’s hard work and it is not just playing with dogs all day. This book does a wonderful job showing the reality of dog-related jobs and specifically search and rescue.

The flow is not always perfect but I think that comes with someone who is a rescuer first and a writer second.

This book shows the feeling of finding someone who didn’t make it out of a disaster. It shows the hope of finding someone who is still alive. It shows how often you may turn up with nothing on some days. It shows the triumph of the dog when they alert to a potential victim/survivor location and the pride you feel when you find out those alerts have paid off and the emergency workers were able to find something to either give a family closure or reunite them with a loved one.

I have the utmost respect for the people who dedicate so much time and endure such rough conditions all to save someone they likely don’t know and never will know personally. This book definitely needed to be written and I’m so glad that Suzanne gave us this gift.”–Sue Wichrowski Bernacki, reviewer at Dog Loving Gal

NetGalley Review: 5 stars

Last updated on 11 Aug 2022

“This is a great inside look at the Search & Rescue groups and what it takes to dedicate your life to it. The book tells of different searches that Suzanne, her dog Keb, and her good friend and search support partner Guy volunteered on. The Oso landslide was harrowing to read about, with so many lost. It shows the variables between different types of searches and how wound up the searchers can get on the scene. Such an interesting read.”–Valerie Shampine, consumer reviewer

Suzanne Elshult has been active in Search and Rescue (SAR) since 2001. She is the president of Cascadia Search Dogs and has held leadership positions with Snohomish County Search and Rescue and Everett Mountain Rescue. She received Washington State Recognition for contributions to the SAR community. Elshult and K9 Keb have searched for missing persons on hundreds of missions in wilderness, disaster, and urban environments. Elshult and Keb are still actively deploying in the mountains and communities of the Pacific Northwest. They live in Edmonds, Washington.

James Guy Mansfield, PhD, has been active in Search and Rescue since 2008. With Everett Mountain Rescue, he has deployed on wilderness, disaster, technical rope-rescue missions, and searches for abducted children. Mansfield has managed some of the largest searches in Washington State and assisted law enforcement on major homicide cases. He has been recognized by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department and the governor of Washington State for his role on high-profile SAR missions. He is a director of the Washington State Search and Rescue Planning Unit. He lives in Edmonds, Washington.