The ultimate story of passion and perseverance, Dawgs is a true story the reader will find hard to forget. In a small town in the Texas Panhandle, a dedicated fourth grade teacher and a group of her tenacious students founded a no-kill dog shelter. What started as a puppy rescue from the city pound grew to a renowned organization serving hundreds of animals at a time. With wonderfully personalized portraits of both child and adult volunteers, donors and adopters, the Dawgs story had some heartbreaking events, but was overall a heartwarming true story.

During this pandemic, I was looking for books to download on the off chance that I might get stuck sleeping over at work. I wanted a book that would provide an uplifting read during this rather depressing experience and I found just the right one: DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them.
DAWGS, aka: Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary, got its start in Diane Trull’s fourth-grade classroom. The children were reading excerpts in the newspaper and discovered an article about puppies that needed to be adopted or they were going to be euthanized at the local shelter. The children couldn’t understand why anyone would want to kill poor, defenseless puppies. They wanted to know how they could help and they were determined to make certain that no animal would ever be euthanized simply because they couldn’t find a home by a certain deadline.
It began with fourth-graders and an inspired teacher…it turned out to be a saving grace for Dalhart, a town with an ever-increasing stray population. It not only taught the students that every life is precious, but it also taught them perseverance – the road to success was never easy for this sanctuary. The town hampered their efforts at seemingly every turn. The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative. Some mysterious individuals kept sneaking into the sanctuary and attempting to sabotage it, sometimes killing defenseless animals on top of it all. They faced each adversity with a stalwart determination that is admirable in an adult, but astonishing in children that young.
DAWGS is an incredibly uplifting story. I loved reading about each and every adversity overcome by the group in an effort to save animal lives. I loved that they were able to succeed despite every obstacle put in their way – so much so that they were able to home animals all over the state and in other states as well. I also loved the stories of animals who found their forever homes that came before each and every chapter in this book. The pictures were a much-enjoyed bonus.
I was looking for an uplifting read – DAWGS was definitely that, but it was something more. At a time when it seems like everywhere you turn there is anger and sorrow, here’s a book that will make you smile. Sure, there are some sad parts, but the rescue stories and the growth of each individual involved in the sanctuary is worth a sad moment here and there. Great read!

DIane Trull's fourth grade reading class saw a picture of a cardboard box that was overflowing with homeless puppies. Instead of the typical response of feeling bad for the puppies and then moving on with their day, these children felt a deep desire to help. They faced challenges and heartache along the way, but they were able to open a shelter for homeless animals. This story of strength, empathy and determination inspired me. I am so happy that the author wrote this book to let everyone know of this wonderful story.

I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love with the book. It's perfect for whoever loves story with dogs, kids and a heartwarming atmosphere.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

An innocent question from her fourth grade students about what would happen to some stray dogs if they weren't adopted, led Diane Trull and her students to open their own no-kill dog shelter. This is their story. Reading this book is like an emotional journey. One minute you are filled with happiness and joy at the actions of these kids and the people who helped them save so many innocent animals. In the next, you are angry and sad because of the City Officials who fought against them at every turn even when they were claiming to help. These people were perfectly okay with solving the homeless pet problem by killing unclaimed animals, but Diane and her kids weren't go to let that happen. Ultimately, the book is very inspirational. It shows that anyone even children can make a positive difference in the world. If you care about animals, you will love this book.