A Dog's Way Home (novel)

Last updated
A Dog's Way Home
A Dog's Way Home (book).png
First edition cover
Author W. Bruce Cameron
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Forge Books
Publication date
May 9, 2017
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
Pages336
ISBN 978-0-765-37465-3

A Dog's Way Home is a 2017 novel by American author W. Bruce Cameron, inspired by many true stories. [1]

Contents

Plot

This story starts out with Bella as a puppy living under an old shack with her family in Denver, Colorado. She finds her way into the arms of Lucas, a young man who adopts her. When Bella becomes separated from Lucas after she was impounded by the animal control due to Denver's pitbull ban, she soon finds herself on a 400-mile journey to reunite with her owner. Along the way, the dog meets an orphaned mountain lion named Big Kitten, a veteran and some friendly strangers who happen to cross her path. She will soon find that Lucas was waiting for her. When she finds Lucas the animal control officer tries to take her but ends up failing.

Reception

The novel had a mostly positive reception because it shared a powerful message on how breed discrimination against dogs, especially the pitbulls, affected the dogs' lives and their owners' lives. This novel also taught readers that pitbulls are definitely not "dangerous" dogs, convinced the readers to stand up to the discriminating BSL (Breed Specific Law) and demand that city governments, especially in Denver, repeal this unfair law. [1] [2] The book was not without its critics like PETA who criticized the book for oversimplifying the Breed specific legislation issue and the perceived danger of pitbulls. [3] [4]

Adaptation

In 2019, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit bull</span> Type of dog

Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog, along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically, while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull. Most pit bull-type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire Bull Terrier</span> British breed of dog

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernese Mountain Dog</span> Dog breed

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large dog breed from Bern, Switzerland and the Swiss Alps, being one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs, with roots in the Roman mastiffs. The name Berner refers to the breed's area of origin in the canton of Bern, and Sennenhund is derived from the German Senne and Hund ("hound/dog"), as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen called Senn. This breed was originally kept as a general farm dog and large Sennenhunde in the past were also used as draft animals pulling carts. The breed was officially established in 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. Bruce Cameron</span> American humor columnist (born 1956)

William Bruce Cameron is an American author, columnist, and humorist. Cameron is most famous for his novel A Dog's Purpose, which spent 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The book is the basis for the movie version starring Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, Peggy Lipton, K.J. Apa, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz, and Pooch Hall, and released in theaters on January 27, 2017. A Dog's Purpose is followed by a sequel called A Dog's Journey, which Cameron, along with Cathryn Michon, adapted into a film of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breed-specific legislation</span> Legislation specific for breeds that are used in illegal dog fighting

In law, breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a type of law that prohibits or restricts particular breeds or types of dog. Such laws range from outright bans on the possession of these dogs, to restrictions and conditions on ownership, and often establishes a legal presumption that such dogs are dangerous or vicious to prevent dog attacks. Some jurisdictions have enacted breed-specific legislation in response to a number of fatalities or maulings involving pit bull–type dogs or other dog breeds commonly used in dog fighting, and some government organizations such as the United States Army and Marine Corps have taken administrative action as well. Due to opposition to such laws in the United States, anti-BSL laws have been passed in 21 of the 50 state-level governments, prohibiting or restricting the ability of jurisdictions within those states to enact or enforce breed-specific legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dangerous Dogs Act 1991</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting or restricting certain types of dogs and codifying the criminal offence of allowing a dog of any breed to be dangerously out of control. After a series of eleven dog attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised "to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs". The Act has been controversial for failing to stem the rise of dog attacks and for focusing on a dog's breed or looks instead of an individual dog's behaviour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Staffordshire Terrier</span> Dog breed

The American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the AmStaff, is a medium-sized, short-coated American dog breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, but not the United Kennel Club, which instead allows American Staffordshire Terriers to be registered under the American Pit Bull Terrier breed.

<i>The Optimists of Nine Elms</i> 1973 British film by Anthony Simmons

The Optimists of Nine Elms, also known as The Optimists, is a 1973 British drama film starring Peter Sellers and directed by Anthony Simmons, who also wrote the 1964 novel upon which the film is based. The film is about an old street musician who strikes up a friendship with two children - Liz, played by Donna Mullane, and her younger brother Mark, played by John Chaffey. Neither of the child actors was featured in future films. A young Keith Chegwin also played a small role.

<i>Hotel for Dogs</i> (film) 2009 film by Thor Freudenthal

Hotel for Dogs is a 2009 American family comedy film directed by Thor Freudenthal in his directorial debut, and based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. Starring Jake T. Austin, Emma Roberts, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon and Don Cheadle, the film tells the story of two orphaned siblings, who secretly take in stray dogs along with their family dog at a vacant hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Bully</span> Dog breed

The American Bully is a modern breed of dog that was developed as a companion dog, and originally standardized and recognized as a breed in 2004 by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC). Their published breed standard describes the dog as giving the "impression of great strength for its size". In 2008, the American Bully was recognized by the European Bully Kennel Club (EBKC), and on July 15, 2013, by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The UK Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, and International Canine Federation do not recognize the American Bully as a separate breed.

<i>A Dogs Purpose</i> 2010 novel by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog's Purpose is a 2010 novel written by American author W. Bruce Cameron. It chronicles a dog's journey through four lives via reincarnation and how he looks for his purpose through each.

<i>A Dogs Purpose</i> (film) 2017 film by Lasse Hallström

A Dog's Purpose is a 2017 American family adventure comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and written by W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes, and Wally Wolodarsky, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron. The film stars Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, Juliet Rylance, John Ortiz, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Peggy Lipton, Dennis Quaid, and Josh Gad. It covers themes of loyalty, grief, dysfunctional family, over a series of reincarnations.

<i>A Dogs Journey</i> Book by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog's Journey is a 2012 book written by W. Bruce Cameron and published by Forge Books. It is the sequel to Cameron's 2010 book A Dog's Purpose. The film of the same name was released in May 2019.

<i>A Dogs Way Home</i> 2019 film directed by Charles Martin Smith

A Dog's Way Home is a 2019 American family adventure drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Cameron. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, Barry Watson, and Jonah Hauer-King, and follows a dog named Bella who travels more than 400 miles to find her owner.

DogsBite.org is a nonprofit organization that publishes accounts of and compiles statistics of dog bite related fatalities throughout the United States, victim testimonies, an overview of breed-specific legislation within the United States, and advocates for victims of dog bites by promoting breed-specific legislation as a means to reduce serious dog attacks. The organization provides statistics and information to news organizations and has filed amicus briefs in court cases related to breed-specific legislation. The organization has been criticized of publishing misleading or inaccurate information.

The National Canine Research Council (NCRC) is an animal advocacy group, originally started by Karen Delise, a veterinary technician. It was later acquired by Jane Berkey, the owner of Animal Farm Foundation and registered as National Canine Research Council, LLC in 2007. Its current website describes itself as "A Research & Policy Think Tank". The National Canine Research Council is a subsidiary of Animal Farm Foundation (AFF). The AVMA has published National Canine Research Council articles and also receives funding from Animal Farm Foundation. The National Canine Research Council has an associated 501(c)(4) fund called the National Canine Research Council Action Fund, which can directly support lobbying and political activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Farm Foundation</span> Pit bull advocacy group against BSL

Animal Farm Foundation (AFF) is a pit bull and anti-BSL animal advocacy group set up by heiress Jane Berkey as a 501(c)(3) charity. It started as a horse rescue in 1985, then shifted focus to pit bull dogs when the founder adopted a pit bull and "discovered that 'pit bull' dog owners were not welcome in a lot of communities and spaces."

References

  1. 1 2 Minow, Nell (May 3, 2017). "W. Bruce Cameron on A Dog's Way Home". HuffPost . Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  2. "A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron". Kirkus Reviews . March 21, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  3. "The Dangerous Messages in 'A Dog's Way Home'". PETA . June 19, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  4. Jones, Oliver (January 11, 2019). "'A Dog's Way Home' Goes Astray With Its Reductive Message About Canine Discrimination". The New York Observer . Retrieved January 15, 2019.