The Miraculous Life of Maggie the Wunderdog

For those of you who don't know, Maggie is a bit of a social media celebrity. I first found about her via the WeRateDogs Twitter back in August 2019, when they tweeted "This is Maggie. She was shot 17 times and had her ear cut off before being rescued. Her new life consists of cuddling with her sister Mishka and showing others how to see with their heart. Last month she passed her therapy dog test, solidifying her spot among the best ever. 15/10".

Being a big dog lover I was instantly besotted, rushed to follow Maggie on Instagram and fell in love with her. I couldn't believe how horribly she'd been treated and how she was such a loving and forgiving dog. But that's, for the most part, down to Kasey. As she writes in the book, she's lost count of how many animals she's rescued over the years, and intends to open some kind of rescue centre or half-way-house if she can get the money to. She's an inspiration.

I was delighted to find Kasey's book up for request on Netgalley, and read it in exchange for an honest review. It isn't for the fainthearted, the things that Maggie and some of the other dogs mentioned throughout have been through are horrific, but this is a beautiful story of resilience. Maggie's lust for life and the joy she brings to so many people are captured so well in the book - we should certainly all try to be more Maggie! Perfect for animal/dog lovers once it is released later in the year!

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5. This is an inspiring story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It shows how the most severe mental and physical traumas in dogs may be mitigated by the proper care and lots of love and positive attention.

Maggie was first rescued off the streets in Lebanon. There are so many stray dogs there they are considered vermin. The injuries this dog suffered were so cruel that it is a miracle she survived. It was thought by a British vet that she had been hit by gunfire at least 4 times and pieces of the bullets were still embedded in her body. If that wasn’t enough torture, her body was riddled by pellets from a BB Gun. The vet said the X-Rays showed these pellets were too numerous to count. Her ear had been sliced off, her jaw broken, some teeth were chipped and the others in poor condition. It was also believed she may have hit by a vehicle at some time and was heavily pregnant when first found.

An organization devoted to the rescue of dogs in shelters in Lebanon, the Wild at Heart Foundation, posted photos of this poor, abused blind dog online. Kasey’s mother drew her attention to the post showing Maggie with a plea for someone to help bring her to the UK, and for some person to love and care for her and teach her that most humans have good hearts.

Kasey already had a rescue dog, but with her unlimited love for animals, she was determined to bring Maggie home and care for her. At first, Maggie suffered nightmares but eventually settled down in her strange new home and surroundings that she was unable to see. In time, Maggie became calm and warily became friends with Misha, Kasey’s other rescue dog. Kasey had been running a doggy daycare. When she felt Maggie was adequately settled and trained she began to introduce her to other people and dogs. She responded well to everyone’s attention and petting, and she became popular with those who met her. Once she felt secure and loved, she returned the love in abundance.

Kasey posted daily photos of Maggie on Instagram, and the response was very positive. She gained thousands of followers from all over the world. Kasey brought her to events to raise money to help other street dogs. Kasey with Maggie was interviewed on prime-time television several times. Maggie was trained as a registered therapy dog and has worked in schools, hospitals, and senior homes bringing smiles, joy and love. Clothes, accessories, calendars bearing Maggie’s picture have raised funds for shelters in Lebanon and the Wild at Heart Foundation. These are just some of Maggie’s achievements in 2019, her first year with Kasey.

My only break while reading the book was to google photos of Maggie online and even found videos of Kasey’s TV interviews. I only wish some of the pictures had been used to illustrate the book. Highly recommended for animal lovers, but they should be aware that descriptions of some of the abused dogs Kasey encountered while later visiting Lebanon are disturbing to read.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Mirror Books for introducing me to the lovely, forgiving Maggie and Kasey with her kind heart.

After following Maggie on Instagram and seeing her on Tv i was so overwhelmed to have the chance to read this heart-breaking but lovely story of this wonderful dog. If you are a dog lover this book will make you smile cry and just have an emotional ride

I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love with this heartbreaking and heartwarming story.
Well written and engrossing it's a must read for any animal lovers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book made me cry so much but I absolutely adore it! It is definitely stunning the life Maggie had led and superbly written. I loved every page of this book

A charming tale, and a book brimfull of love.

Maggie was from Beirut, a street dog. Absolutely heartbreaking to read what had happened to the poor dog. Horrible. But she was rescued and lavished with tender loving care by new owner Kasey Carlin, who tells their story in this book.

If you love animal stories, this is for you. Heartbreaking at the beginning, of course, when you learn of the dog's suffering and injuries. But only this small part of the book. The rest of it is charming and uplifting as Maggie has a new life and lots of love with her new owner.

Not just about Maggie; she tells of other pets she's had throughout her life; her happy memories of things they did. Don't be put off by seeing Maggie's injuries on the cover picture-this is a very pleasant read, with plenty of smiles in here too.

I enjoyed Maggie, Mishka, and Kasey's heartbreaking, but mostly heart-warming story.

Kasey Carlin is a very special young woman. She has devoted her life to helping dog's in need, often in cases that seemed insurmountable. One of these cases was a street dog from Lebanon named Angie.

Blind, one ear cut off, heavily pregnant and riddled with bullets, many would have wise to assume that the odds were stacked against Angie. But no-one reckoned on Kasey. Made aware of this special case, Kasey offered to foster Angie if she was brought to the UK, and restore her to the point where she could find a loving new home.

Renamed Maggie, this indomitable creature grew from strength to strength under Kasey's watchful eye. Eventually, Kasey was aware that she couldn't let Maggie go, and a social media legend was born.

This is such a feel-good book. Kasey is honest, as well as compassionate. She has grown as a person through the stories of the dogs she has helped, which is beautiful to read. She and Maggie thoroughly deserve all the good things. They show that small acts really can change the world.

The Miraculous Life of Maggie the Wonderdog: The True Story of a Little Street Dog Who Learned to Love Again by Kasey Carlin will be available in stores and online from June 4th.