Dogtripping

25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure

By: David Rosenfelt

Narrated by: Jeff Steitzer

When best-selling mystery writer David Rosenfelt and his family moved from Southern California to Maine, he thought he had prepared for everything. They had mapped the route, brought three GPSs for backup, as well as refrigerators full of food, and stoves and microwaves on which to cook them. But traveling with 25 dogs turned out to be a bigger ordeal than he anticipated, despite RVs, the extra kibble, volunteers (including a few readers), and camping equipment.

Rosenfelt recounts the adventure of moving his animal companions across the United States with humor and warmth, and tells the tale of how he and his wife became passionate foster parents for rescue dogs, culminating in the creation of the Tara Foundation and successfully placing several thousand dogs with loving families.

David Rosenfelt, a native of Paterson, NJ, is a graduate of NYU. He was a former marketing president for Tri-Star Pictures before becoming a novelist. Narrator Jeff Steitzer has appeared on Broadway in "Inherit The Wind" and "Mary Poppins" in regional threaters around the country, and is the Multiplayer Announcer for all HALO video Games.

©2013 Tara Productions, Inc. (P)2013 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Jeff Steitzer's deep, pleasant voice is enjoyable to listen to, and he aptly portrays the couple's fervent devotion to the task of rescuing dogs from shelters. His pacing and intonation help to keep the listener in the story of how the couple came to amass so many dogs, the varied personalities of their canine family members, and the way they managed to transfer their household cross-country via recreational vehicles and a team of fellow dog enthusiasts. Listeners who are dog lovers will be inspired.” (Audiofile)

I hated to have it end - wonderful story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended it to several friends because it is such a great story. Dog rescue is such an emotional process - and the fact that they were able to manage to rescue so many and remain so positive is amazing. The humor, genuine emotion and teaching moments in the story kept my interest all the way through. I found myself not wanting to listen as it got close to the end. But then just had to turn it on to see what would happen next.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dogtripping?

I loved the story about the young man who was able to move back home once he had a dog in his life - and one that was inches away from being put down.

What does Jeff Steitzer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed the sound of the emotions in his voice. It added quite a bit to the general enjoyment. Sometimes the words were ambivalent as to what emotion was behind them, but the sounds of respect, reflection, sorrow and joy in the voice allowed me to participate more fully.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried - making listening while driving a bit challenging at times.

Any additional comments?

I hope they plan to move across country again - with another journal of the trip forthcoming.

Skip it

While I found it admirable that so many dogs were rescued, but the book was tedious and the author’s constant complaining was unbearable. And I will never listen to a book again with this narrator.

The true story was terrific.

I love the book and I loved the narrator. The story with all the chronological part of the trip and then the smaller inserted stories of each of the many dogs was a delight. The narrator’s voice was very fine for me. Thank you, David. You did another great job and the fact that this one was true makes it even more special.

DOGS DOGS DOGS

If you could sum up Dogtripping in three words, what would they be?

Lots of Dogs.

Any additional comments?

I liked the way the stories of the different dogs were woven into the story. I think that a bit more of the story could have focused on the trip.

Delightful & Heart Warming

I have read most of David Rosenfelt’s books and have enjoyed them all. The AndyCarpenter series is by far my favorite. Dogtripping was an unexpectedly delightful look into the real life world of Mr. Rosenfelt and well worth the listen. It is funny and poignant and crazy. I loved it and I would love an adventure like this with this crew.