Kat the Dog: The Remarkable Tale of a Rescued Spanish Water Dog has just been published – a book that shines a light on the plight of abandoned animals and the tireless work undertaken by animal rescue charities.
Described by one reader as “Black Beauty for dog lovers” Kat the Dog is a captivating and emotional story of survival and second chances – and we have a signed copy to give away!
Abandoned, starving, and ridden with ticks and fleas, a poor little scrap of a dog staggers along the road. She barely looks up as a car pulls over and the driver gets out, not realising that her life was about to change in that moment. For the driver was an angel, one of many unpaid volunteers who dedicate their life to helping sick and abandoned animals.
Ginie de Weerd was on holiday in rural southern Spain, but that didn’t stop her from rescuing yet another painfully thin and dejected little dog that she saw on her travels. And the moment author Alyson Sheldrake saw the photographs online of this pitiful, yet regal, little Spanish Water Dog, she knew she had found her – the dog she had been waiting for.
Alyson is British and lived and worked as both a police officer and Director of Education in the south-west, before moving to live in the Algarve, Portugal, with her husband, Dave, a retiredpolice officer. She had always wanted a dog, but work and travel commitments meant it was not possible. Now living in Portugal, her dream could come true — but which dog would she choose?
The stories and sights of animals tied up all day or beaten, and abandoned puppies thrown away in a plastic bag with the rubbish, ensured that it was always going to be a rescue dog that was given the chance of a new life.
Alyson had spoken to Ginie, who runs the SOS Algarve Animals rescue charity in the Algarve, and asked her advice about a suitable dog. Ginie had promised to find one for her. Little did she realise that day she stopped and picked up this poor mite that she would be changing not only the dog’s life, but Alyson and Dave’s too. But even after she has been adopted, Kat’s adventures don’t end here, as she gets into scrapes and mischief, and undergoes serious surgery.
The book is a clever blend of fiction and memoir, as Kat the Dog tells her story.
Alyson tells us, “This is the book I was always meant to write. The story of our darling Kat the Dog, the little Spanish Water Dog who has transformed our lives. My hope is this book will also highlight the brilliant work of rescue charities, and the immense love that is possible between a dog and their owner. And if this book means that even just one more abandoned dog finds a new forever home, then it will have been worth it.”
Alyson is donating 15% of the profit from the sale of the book to local animal rescue charities.
The eBook, paperback and hardback are available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and thepaperback can be ordered from any bookstore or library.
For more information, visit www.alysonsheldrake.com
WIN, WIN, WIN!
We have one signed copy to give away to a lucky reader. To enter, fill out the Contact form and put ‘Kat the Dog’ in the subject line.
One entry will be picked at random after 4pm on Friday 10th June 2022.
Good luck!
