by Diane Trull
with Meredith Wargo
Order your copy of DAWGS
We’ve all seen them, the cardboard boxes outside grocery stores and gas stations, filled with a litter of puppies… and we’ve all felt the tug. But most of us find a way to talk ourselves down from the impulse to arrive home from our errand with a new family pet (or pets!) Usually I do too - but not always - I‘m a sucker for a puppy or a matted stray in need of a loving home, and my family does little more than raise an eyebrow when another “Buddy” or “Lobo” or “Scaredy Cat” join the circus at the farm…
My book club pick for April was born of a scene just like the one I described above. You’ll get the history, and many touching vignettes, on the special animals and special people of DAWGS, by Diane Trull. It’s the story of how a 4th grade reading class, called to action by a newspaper photo of a box of puppies in need of homes, started an animal shelter in their town of Dalhart, Texas.
I’m not kidding, that’s exactly how it happened. Ms. Trull was working with one student on reading aloud skills, when she was repeatedly interrupted by a group of other students who had a LOT of questions about this picture. “Where did the puppies come from?” “Who’s going to take care of them?” (And the big one…) “What happens to them if they don’t find families???”
And that is how the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary - DAWGS - was born! But I’m not going to tell you anymore, because Diana Trull already has! When you get your copy, you’ll hear all about that day at Allyn Finch Intermediate School, and the weeks, months, and challenges she and the students faced to make their mission of helping every animal find it’s way home.