I love this book, which is part guide, part memoir, and 100% a love letter to adopted dogs everywhere. We just adopted our sixth (not all in our lives at once- rip) and I encourage anyone considering it to read this book. Then go out and do it!

Victoria Shaffer loves dogs and it shows in Pup Culture, an informative collection of adoption stories, tips on providing for foster dogs and how to find your perfect rescue pup. Some stories are her own. She describes her and her brother’s longing for pets and how they managed to find their perfect matches. She writes about her own rescue dogs but doesn’t gloss over the physical work it takes to raise a rescue dog with stomach problems (laundry, vet bills, more laundry). That rescue dog who was supposed to be a perfect weight of 30 pounds now weighs 90!

The stories of rescue dog behavior are charming. My favorite is David Letterman’s Thanksgiving story about his dog Bob. The turkey was put on the kitchen table to thaw, adults went out and returned to find the turkey gone. They hoped a homeless, hungry person had taken it. Them while their replacement turkey was roasting, Bob came racing in, original bird in mouth, ready to add to the holiday dinner.

The lists of what you’ll need for a foster or rescue puppy are detailed and invaluable. Shaffer makes sure her readers know that rescuing a dog takes patience and hard work but the result is beyond satisfying. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tiller Press and Victoria Lily Shaffer for this ARC.

Pup Culture is a heartwarming collection of dog adoption stories along with dog parenting tips and tricks curated and presented by Victoria Lily Shaffer. Due out 26th Oct 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an exuberant and chatty book. The author's enduring enthusiasm for rescue, adoption, and animal welfare shines throughout. She tells her own story of dog adoption (after wearing down her parents, a familiar story to most readers) and their family's life after adopting their dogs. Scattered throughout the biography and dog life stories are small DIY tutorials, checklists, and tips for making canine family life less stressful and more successful.

I really enjoyed reading the vignettes and stories related by friends and acquaintances of the author. Bob Letterman's (Dave's shepherd mix) adoption is related along with a cute Thanksgiving story as well as many stories of adoption and fostering by the author and her immediate family. All of the stories throughout the book are interspersed with highlighted text sidebars with facts and tips about dog ownership and the daily realities of being a dog-parent. I was unaware, for example, that most large pet supply stores will allow returns of opened food packages if the animal is allergic or refuses to eat the purchased food.

This is a quirky but engaging book and I enjoyed reading it and looking at all of the adorable dog pics. It would make a good choice for library acquisition, gifting to a dog lover, or for readers who enjoy slice-of-life animal stories. I would also recommend this selection for people contemplating pet adoption. The author doesn't shy away from discussing some of the difficulties as well as the joys of being a pet parent.

Four stars. Cute and enjoyable.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I adored this book. It was charming, the pictures throughout were beautiful. Victoria is clearly passionate about what she does, working tirelessly, and going above and beyond for every dog in need. Pup Culture is stuffed to the brim with incredible tips. Everything from applying for your first rescue (there's a reason you haven't heard back on your application form), to bonding new dogs with existing dogs in the household. If you're getting a new pup, Victoria has you covered with a Puppy Necessity List which I could have used before spending $1000 on Amazon last year. Shaffer's list is realistic, budget friendly, and the items can be found anywhere. She'll tell you how to repurpose old toys, and even how to create your own. The outcome of Pup Culture will be a brain filled with puppy knowledge and dozens of questions and answers on whether you're you're ready to take the leap into owning a dog or not. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as will any dog lover, or anyone who is considering a dog.

I’ve moved most of my book review talk over to my personal account, but I think you can guess why I’d mention this one here. 🥰 #pupculture by Victoria Lily Shaffer is a book full of cute stories and adventures in fostering rescue dogs. Victoria uses personal experience to encourage the curious to see how they can help local rescue services, gives tips to those new to pup parenting, and even has some special guest stories from the likes of Dan Levy and Glenn Close! The book comes out this October and can be pre-ordered now. The one thing that I would like to note, which the author does an okay (but admittedly not as well as I’d like, at least initially) job of saying, is that there is a level of privilege involved in being able to foster. She absolutely recognised that it’s both tough and rewarding— but I think having access to a job with flexibility at the very least, is not something everyone can have. 💜

Thanks for the chance to read this book in exchange for honest feedback. This guide is jam packed with information. It was a bit “wordier” than I thought it would be - based on the cover and the description, I thought it would be designed a bit differently. Either way, I think there is a lot to gain from the book if one is willing to dig around and read through the pages of memoirs and short essays. I wouldn’t recommend this for people with short attention spans who just want the nitty gritty.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rarely do you come across a book that is both sweetly charming as well as truly informative. This is that book. Ms. Shaffer did an excellent job of weaving her story of her personal journey rescuing and fostering dogs, the stories of several well known celebrities with their own dog love stories, and real information for anyone thinking of adopting through a rescue or becoming a foster dog mom or dad. As someone who has worked with a rescue myself, I can attest all her information is spot on. I couldn't get enough of the great stories from the famous contributors. Glenn Close's story of the starving stray that she found while shooting a movie in Kansas was particularly moving, This book was well worth the read and I enjoyed it as much as I learned from it.

This is a perfectly wonderful book. I am just unable to finish it, as my beloved furbaby passed away on the way to the vet this morning. I hope others will check it out if they have an interest, good information here. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Victoria Lily Shaffer, and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
As a dog mom to special needs dogs, I'm a big advocate for adopting and rescuing dogs. So I was interested in this book just from the cover. I liked this book although I feel like it focused too much on puppies and not enough on the importance of adopting adult and senior dogs. But the author has a lot of experience with puppies so I understand why she chose to write mostly about them.
This book does offer some good advice on fostering and adopting dogs along with cute pictures, recipes for dog treats, and a few stories from other dog adopters. And the information about the rescue Mutt Scouts is inspiring.