The Doggie in the Window

How One Dog Led Me from the Pet Store to the Factory Farm to Uncover the Truth of Where Puppies Really Come From

By: Rory Kress

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

When journalist Rory Kress met Izzie, she didn't think twice before bringing her home. She found the 12-week-old wheaten terrier in a pet shop and was handed paperwork showing Izzie had been born in a USDA-licensed breeding facility - so she couldn't be a puppy mill dog, right?

But a few years later, as Rory embarked on her own difficult journey to become a mother, her curiosity began to tug at her. Sure, Izzie was her fur baby, but who was her dog's real mother, and where was she now? And where did Izzie pick up her strange personality quirks? Like so many people, Rory had assumed the young puppy was a clean slate when she bought her. Those questions led Rory - with Izzie by her side - on a nationwide investigation, the first of its kind.

From a dog livestock auction to the laboratory of one of the world's leading animal behavioral scientists all the way up to the highest echelons of the USDA, they sought answers about who we're trusting to be the watchdogs for our pet dogs.

The Doggie in the Window is a story of hope and redemption. With Izzie's help, we learn the real story behind the dog in the window and how she got there in the first place.

©2018 Rory Kress (P)2018 Tantor

Very informative and emotional

Finished it in 2 days, very eye opening to a thing I thought I was educated on. It will make you want to hug your dog and tell them how much you love them.

Eye Opening!

This book has lots of details and some of them are very eye opening. This story is more of a newspaper article with exceptional narration. Teri Schnaubelt delivers the right tone, various voices, and right expressions. I agree that dog breeding should nott be under the Agriculture Department. Dogs should not be considered livestock. Change is definitely needed in the realm of dog breeding inspection. I also believe that there are both good breeders and bad breeders. Most are not abusive, but some are. USDA enforcement is the issue with many of the problems. Current system is inadequate. Rory Kress wrote this book in a very informative manner and did not try to bias one's opinion. I appreciated how the author did not try to shame those who have purchased dogs from a store. The encouragement is there to rescue or adopt, and know its a lifetime commitment.

Review headline is not actually optional

Narrator was phenomenal. Content is phenomenal. I wish everyone, but especially those who have bought puppies from pet stores or big websites, would read this. The only thing I don't love is that Rory seems to think buying at all is a choice based on appearance or breed affinity, not taking into account all the varying reasons people may do so. As someone whose fearful young rescue has cost thousands in medical bills every year, I want a fully health tested dog next. Still, most of the content is regarding the deception, the complicit USDA, the lax legal regulations and clarifying that this is also a social problem, not just about dogs.

read it!

This was an amazing read. I really appreciated the in-depth research done to present the facts of a very complicated subject to find how uncomplicated it truly is. dog owner or not, you should read it!

Opened my eyes

I adopted my dog from an agency which contracts with shelters in the south. I was informed of my baby's horrible abuse history. But I never knew of the abusive environments of the puppy mills. This book opened my eyes. The author was very thorough in describing laws and regulations, and the implementation of them (or lack thereof). While emotionally difficult to face the reality, I couldn't put it down, wanting to learn more on the issue. Highly recommend the book.

Thick on the naivete.

I struggled at the first of this book to continue. The author's opinions were so expressed while her actual experience with actual dogs is so, so limited. So her biases were very naive. But, a person wanting better for dogs and loving dogs in any and every form is no crime to me. So, I listened to gain perspective of what someone with a minimal animal background saw looking in.