“Canine lovers will discover a broad array of topics useful for caring for dogs and becoming an advocate for their humane treatment…Children will come away from this book educated and inspired to become “Dog Champions””
– School Library Journal
“No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs is written by Rob Laidlaw with illustrations and pictures from various sources. Rob Laidlaw has been an advocate for animals for over thirty years and has founded many animal protection organizations. In this book he describes how to find a new pet and how to care for your new best friend. He shares stories from around the world and talks about the negative things people do to their pets. Some pictures and stories can be mature content for younger children but show realistic situations. The author talks about being an animal champion and what people do to volunteer to help out dogs. The book contains an index and a glossary.”
“An informative and visually varied introduction to problems affecting dogs worldwide. In a short, colorful volume with sidebars and photographs on nearly every page, professional dog advocate Laidlaw (Wild Animals in Captivity, 2008) presents facts about how dogs live, provides an overview of the cruelty dogs face at the hands of humans and offers profiles of young activists who are working to better dogs’ lives. Readers who know dogs best as pets will find new information here: The author gives as much time to discussions of street dogs in Detroit and India and the working conditions of sled dogs as he does to the more familiar topics of dog adoption and caring for a canine pet. Dogs’ mistreatment in research facilities and at the hands of some pet owners is addressed frankly but gently, and photographs of cramped puppy mills or dogs neglectfully chained outdoors inspire pathos but do not depend on shock value. A few questions raised by the text go unanswered—the author insists that “dogs … are our friends—not food” but neither extends this claim toward other animals nor explains why dogs, in his view, are different. At just 64 pages, the book does not delve deeply into any individual topic, but a list of animal welfare websites points interested readers toward further information. A worthy overview that may well inspire readers to become “Dog Champions.”
“Laidlaw urges readers to become “Dog Champions” by learning about the threats facing dogs and advocating for their welfare….While the anecdotes of real-life animal abuse are sometimes painful to read, they should provide ample incentive for readers who are serious about improving the lives of dogs.”
“Enhanced with photos, informational sidebars and inspiring good-news stories, No Shelter Here will galvanize young readers to become Dog Champions in their own communities.”
“Although the situation is very serious, Laidlaw avoids sensationalizing the message in his book. It is a book meant to empower…”
Review by Suzanne Pierson, for CM
No Shelter Here is my favorite kind of animal book – packed with information that will help dogs, but without the pessimistic overtones that so often make them hard to read. It will serve as an eye-opener for many young animal lovers that, even in our own culture, dogs are not always treated kindly. But the inspiring Dog Champion sections make it clear without being preachy or condescending that everyone can make a difference to the quality of a dog’s life – in their own backyard and beyond.
— Debra Probert, Executive Director, Vancouver Humane Society
In No Shelter Here, Rob Laidlaw has pulled off a very neat feat: He’s paid young readers the compliment of painting for them a realistic picture of the sometimes harsh circumstances of dogs in numerous societies, pulling no punches in the process.
But his book also offers hopeful alternatives and inspiring examples of real-life kids engaged in—indeed, often initiating—constructive opposition to canine homelessness in many parts of the world, unscrupulous dog breeding practices, invasive laboratory research on dogs, as well as other forms of cruelty, neglect and injustice. At the same time, No Shelter Here celebrates the deep bond between humans and dogs, movingly depicts the true joys of canine companionship, and offers all kinds of clearly presented information on responsible pet acquisition and ownership.
I was pleased to read so many true accounts of children and adolescents making a real difference in the lives of dogs. And I am even more pleased to encounter a new book brimming with respect both for these remarkable kids and for dogs in general, all of whom deserve all the help and understanding humans of all ages can give them.
—Erika Ritter, author of The Dog by the Cradle, the Serpent Beneath: Some Paradoxes of Human-Animal Relationships.
As a dog lover and former Executive Director of The Winnipeg Humane Society, I am so impressed with this comprehensive, interesting, and easy read about dogs. It includes so much more than what we are often told about dogs, such as the use of dogs in research, dog racing, etc. I think it’s important that all of these issues be brought into the open, and Rob has done that without being radical or judgmental. I hope this book gets the wide readership it deserves.
— Vicki Burns
Rob has tapped into numerous issues about dogs that many people might not be aware of. This book will raise awareness and empathy to the plight of dogs and inspire children to become “dog champions.”
— Trudy Sattler, professional dog trainer
There is an ever increasing interest in dogs because we now realize how deeply entwined the lives of dogs and humans have been for as long as 35,000 years. No other animals affect us as deeply as dogs. Rob Laidlaw has written an engaging, non-dogmatic, helpful book for children of all ages who love dogs and want to help them have better lives. His dozens of inspiring stories about young people who have made a difference in the lives of dogs is a special feature of this wonderful book. I highly recommend it to children who want to become involved in the amazing world of dogs
— Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of Dogs Never Lie about Love, The Dog Who Couldn’t Stop Loving, and Dogs Makes Us Human
No Shelter Here is a wonderful read. The stories about young people working to improve the lives of dogs worldwide brought tears to my eyes. For those of us who have labored so long to help animals, their stories are inspirational. I hope this book motivates more people, young and old, to make the world a better place for animals.
— Liz White, Director, Animal Alliance of Canada
Rob Laidlaw has written a smart and accessible book about the hidden lives of dogs. By gently opening our eyes to dogs other than those we know in our homes and at the park, such as those in puppy mills or used in research, he has given children a wonderful opportunity to learn about the millions of canines in dire need of our help. Best of all is the book’s “call to action”: kids will meet many wonderful Dog Champions and will be inspired to become Champions themselves. Only when we know can we understand and move to change the world for our canine friends. Thank you, Rob, for giving both young and old alike this opportunity.
— Jo-Anne McArthur, Founder, We Animals
Rob Laidlaw has done it again! This lively, accessible, and richly illustrated book brilliantly covers the important issues for dogs and their guardians. It belongs in the home of all dog lovers and anyone considering acquiring a dog.
— Jonathan Balcombe, PhD, author of The Exultant Ark and Second Nature
Dogs are typically included among our best friends, but often we are not their best friend. Like other animal beings, dogs want and need to feel safe and to be loved. In this wonderful book for children, as well as for teachers and all adults, author and animal activist Rob Laidlaw explains the many ways in which we have double-crossed animal beings who expect the best from us, and what we can do about it. I learned a lot from this insightful book that I will share with a wide audience.
— Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals, Animals At Play: Rules of the Game (an award-winning children’s book), Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals, and The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint
It is never easy to read and learn about the suffering of our fellow dog companions, particularly when we discover that humans are responsible for their distress. However, as Rob Laidlaw so beautifully describes in No Shelter Here, knowledge of the suffering and injustice is what compels people to take action. This book will educate and inspire both children and adults to do what they can to improve the lives of dogs. In your acknowledgement, you thank the dogs, Rob, and we thank you for writing this compassionate book on their behalf.
— Kristin Beach, Director, Niagara Action for Animals
Rob Laidlaw is widely respected across Canada and internationally for his work in animal protection. This book about dogs is an excellent resource for families that want to welcome animals into their lives. It will encourage young readers to think seriously about their canine companions and will truly help us to make the world “a kinder place for dogs.”
— Professor John Sorenson, Brock University, author of Animal Rights Canada
This new and wonderful book by Rob Laidlaw will definitely educate both children and adults about the real world of our best friend, the Dog. Many people know very little about who these wonderful creatures really are, despite the fact that they have lived with us and enriched our lives for many, many years. Rob, who has so eloquently spoken up for wild animals in captivity, is now doing so for our most familiar domestic species, canis familiaris. Thank you, Rob, for doing this. It will help teach future generations to both understand and appreciate man’s best friend. A big “hurrah” for you from me and all my doggy friends!
— Keiko Usui Yamazaki, Companion Animal Study Group “GO,” Board member, Japanese Coalition for Animal Welfare
This book celebrates the natural affinity children have for animals, especially dogs. It will engage, educate, and empower children, and their parents will learn from it, too. The book is a comprehensive source of information, full of insights about dogs, about how they are sometimes hurt, and about how caring people can help them. If dogs are our best friends, this fantastic book helps us think about how to reciprocate.
— Lesli Bisgould, Animal Rights Law Professor & Author
“A most important book that will help form children’s sense of community, understanding, and respect for others: lessons that all pay off in later life. I love this book and kids will too because it allows them to learn while reading about something they care about: dogs around the world …”
— Ingrid Newkirk, President, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
“This book is a remarkable gift of inspiration, passion, and celebration of how children can learn to protect dogs from the unkind and irresponsible realities around the world. Rob Laidlaw has once again given us a wonderful tool to encourage children of all ages to respect and make the world a better place for dogs. This fun and factual book takes the reader around the world on many important topics that dogs face every day. It stirs the heart by providing great examples of how people can truly help make a difference in the lives of dogs, one dog at a time.”
— Captain Cindy Machado, Animal Services Director, Marin Humane Society, Novato, CA USA
“This practical, compelling book is a turning point in how we look at this most forgiving of species. Dogs love us unconditionally, they take their role seriously, and they willingly give — and lose — their lives to protect ours. Please join Rob’s call in becoming a Dog Champion, united in the one indisputable fact that our very best friend in the world has a wet nose and a wagging tail.”
— Dr Jill Robinson MBE, Founder & CEO, Animals Asia Foundation