“Balancing intensive research, heartwarming anecdotes, and a passionate dedication to the cause, Kavin crafts a readable and compelling depiction of the inefficacies of the taxpayer-funded shelter system and the people who have assumed the responsibility of shuttling animals across the country, from near-death to a new ‘leash’ on life. … Her exposé is indeed illuminating…”
Ellen Feld, Feathered Quill Book Reviews
“Anger, heartbreak, and happiness are just a few of the emotions you’ll experience as you read this book. Kavin is not timid, and goes right to the people in charge of the shelters to ask the how, why, and how-could-you questions that you, too, will want answered. She introduces the reader to numerous groups working, against the odds, to save as many dogs as possible. And while she uses plenty of statistics and facts to back up everything she says, the book reads like a mystery unfolding and not a technical journal on the world of animal shelters. If you love dogs, this is one book you must read. It’s too important not to bring to light the awful truths surrounding our ‘throw-away’ dogs.”
Julie Ogden, The Last Resort Rescue
“Little Boy Blue is the most insightful, on-target book I have ever read on the subject. You have hit on every issue currently existing within our underworld of rescue from sadistic shelters and bad rescues to overwhelmed workers who are sickened by what they do and the rescues who rise above and try to do the right thing. My husband and I have been pulling animals both locally in New Jersey and from the South for over 20 years and in that time have fostered over 1,000 dogs. I have tried hard to share with people all the knowledge I have gained, and with your book coming out, I now have a powerful tool in my hand. I am going to recommend it to everyone!”
Julia Szabo, Dogster
“Sometimes, adopting a rescued dog can adjust your priorities. Kim Kavin wrote a book on that very topic, Little Boy Blue: A Puppy’s Rescue from Death Row and His Owner’s Journey for Truth. The riveting read traces her dog Blue’s history back to the gas chamber down South where he narrowly escaped being put to death. The book focuses on her lucky dog, but its real message, the author explains, is ‘the bigger story that this particular puppy had to teach me about the dog rescue movement across America.'”
Jaclyn Fulwood, Shelf Awareness
“While sometimes heartrending due to the nature of the subject, Kavin’s research also turns up unexpected moments of joy and clarity. If our society is educated about the conditions created by animal overpopulation, if we are proactive about controlling breeding both in the industry and in our own backyards, and if we give rescue dogs the chance to join our families, the situation can be reversed. A well-researched blend of investigation and personal journey, Little Boy Blue is a heart-stopping exposé no animal-lover should miss.”
Claudia Kawczynska, The Bark
“For years, the most under-reported story in the country has been about the veritable army of dedicated animal lovers who work tirelessly to rescue shelter dogs, and the fact that, despite their work, shelters are still putting down millions of dogs every year. Journalist Kim Kavin’s new book, Little Boy Blue: A Puppy’s Rescue from Death Row and His Owner’s Journey for Truth, takes on that story. … Kavin masterfully weaves her life with Blue into the storyline, and does a great job presenting all of this information in an engrossing and inspirational narrative that reads like a page-turner police procedural. This is a compelling, important book that should be read by everyone who loves dogs. Personally, I’m thrilled that someone with Kavin’s passion and skill took on this tough assignment.”
“Memorize this book cover. I want every dog-lover in America to read this book and pass it along to a friend… The time is right and the book is a compelling and well-researched read. An ambitious public relations schedule is planned, and I expect the book and the message will make waves.”
Jennifer Melville, Story Circle Book Reviews
“Dog lovers, you are going to fall in love with this book. Well-written, engaging and shocking, Little Boy Blue has information you’ll want to share with everyone you know. Too few people know the truth about America’s tax-funded animal shelters. This book will truly open people’s eyes. I hope that many will read it and that something powerful can be done to end this sad epidemic. While I supported adoption before, Little Boy Blue convinced me to never again consider buying a dog from a pet store or breeder. It also made me want to hug my own puppy.”
Phyliss Boatwright, Courier-Times of Person County, North Carolina (where Blue was rescued)
“After reading just a few pages of ‘Little Boy Blue,’ I was mesmerized. … Kavin crafts a masterful story that will tug at the heartstrings, but she does it in the manner of a true journalist who’s seeking the truth, not an activist trying to influence public opinion by any means. … Kim Kavin simply wants to do what she can to make life better for the multitude of animals that end up in high-kill shelters, like the one in Person County. … If you have ever loved an animal, ‘Little Boy Blue’ is a must-read.”
Ruth Oneufer, Daytona Beach News-Journal
“The book unfolds like a mystery and exposes the brutal reality of what still goes on in many of America’s shelters and the grass-roots efforts that are turning it all around. The moments of joy and the signs of real progress carry the reader through the uncomfortable reality of too many homeless dogs. … Kavin never becomes preachy and the story never becomes overly heartbreaking. Her background in journalism allows her to keep the book moving along in the search for solutions. There are numbers and statistics, information that has attribution. … All of it is woven into a joyful story of the adoption of a puppy named Blue.”
Michele C. Hollow, Pet News and Views
“Kim explores the ‘whys’ behind the need for dog transports and promotes adoption over breeding. She uncovers many surprising facts about animal shelters and how the system works. Writing about kill shelters can be harrowing. Yet, Kim writes in a beautiful manner making it an important, not frightening, read. She talks about why shelters need to be run as businesses, and provides examples of well run ones. Her knowledge of pet transportation rescues is insightful, and everyone involved in pet rescue should read ‘Little Boy Blue.’ This is a memoir that touches on Kim’s life as a journalist, pet parent, foster pet parent, and pet rescue volunteer. It’s a rich life filled with kindness and care, and her book will stay with you after you finish reading it.”
Lindsay Christ, Long Island Press
“Kavin is a true journalist, and gives every side of the story a chance, showing that the line between good and bad sometimes becomes blurred. She is able to give numbers and statistics a voice, forcing readers to become educated as they turn the pages. This is a book that no one wants to read, but that everyone should.”
Karen Hendricks, Off the Merry-Go-Round
“One of the most moving books I have ever read is Little Boy Blue: A Puppy’s Rescue from Death Row and His Owner’s Journey for Truth. Last fall, coincidentally, as my beloved greyhound was dying of bone cancer, I devoured this book, stunned at the statistics and moved to tears by the state of our nation’s animal shelters. Author Kim Kavin, a fellow journalist/writer, did an amazing job of chronicling her experience adopting her dog Blue, interweaving her narrative with eye-opening research.”
Erica Settino, This Dish is Veg
“As someone who has worked for many years on the front lines of the war to save the lives of innocent animals, I have seen first hand the trials and tribulations Kavin courageously documents in the tale of her precious Blue, and all I have to say is, it’s about time. … An award-winning journalist and dedicated animal rescue worker, Kavin marries her informational approach with her very obvious passion and love for not only Blue, but for all the animals who have been and continue to be designated to die. Hers is a must read for animal lovers, rescue and welfare workers, and activists hoping to make a difference in the lives of all those who sit and wait, and whose time is running out.”
Kathy Porter, Must Heal Rescue Dogs
“Kim Kavin’s experience as a professional journalist makes her the perfect author for Little Boy Blue. Her meticulous research weaves together her personal adoption story around everything that she uncovers about how the adoption movement, washing seamlessly over our country, has become very like a tsunami.”
Susan Miers Smith, Thoughts on Paws
“If you call yourself a dog lover, you must read Little Boy Blue: A Puppy’s Rescue From Death Row and His Owner’s Journey for Truth by Kim Kavin. … While the book is unsettling, it also shows just how far rescuing homeless animals has come. It was after Kavin’s book was published, but Pennsylvania finally banned the use of gas chambers to euthanize animals in animal shelters and animal control facilities. Blue’s adoptionfrom a Pennsylvania rescue group that worked in concert with a North Carolina rescue group, foster home and underground-railroad-like transport to the North, show the lengths people will go to get unwanted dogs homes. Kavin also devotes ample pages to the importance of low-cost spaying and neutering services in the South to stem the influx of unwanted pets in the first place. Please, do yourself a favor and enlighten yourself by reading Kavin’s book.”
Monica Friedman, Best Children’s Books (recommends “Little Boy Blue” for young adult and older)
“The book’s research is meticulous, as Kavin, as a professional journalist, is able to go places and get answers that many of the activist rescuers cannot. Getting to the bottom of high kill rates or the secret to a financially successful animal rescue takes persistence and effort.”
“Interspersed with all this information and the story of Kim’s quest for it is the wonderful story of Blue, and the other dogs in her life. To me, that made the book enjoyable as well as informative, and in spite of the bad news along the way, it left me feeling hopeful. I am hopeful that all the good people are trying to do will ultimately overcome the evil, the ignorance and the misinformation that leads to so many dogs dying in shelters. … I highly recommend this book. … It is very well written, thought provoking, and a must-read for all dog lovers out there.”
Carol Cronin, Where Books Meet Boats
“Kim’s even-handed treatment of everyone keeps this from being a diatribe—though she leaves no doubt about her feelings on the topic of shelters, sterilization, and adoption vs. the purchase of pure bred animals. Everyone—shelter operators, transport drivers, dogsitters—receives the benefit of the doubt that is always due to good-hearted people who sometimes end up doing the wrong thing.”
Keith Sanderson, Examiner.com
“It is a story that could have easily been diluted by the shrill but undocumented voice of a passionate advocate. … Fortunately, the story is tempered by Kavin’s experience as a trained journalist. Her story is supported with documented facts. The result it is a sharp and revealing look at the good, the bad and the ugly of homeless dogs in America and what happens to them. … The dog Blue led Kim Kavin on a venture to discovery that you will be sure to want to follow.”
Jennifer Andress, Team Unruly
“This book might not convince you that transport-based rescues are a good thing. But it will surely do a good job of laying out why they exist, what their goals are, and why a whole lot of people support them. It’s also honest about some of the pitfalls and drawbacks of the system. And for that reason, I think it is a really valuable addition to the literature on shelter dogs and rescues in the United States.”
“This book not only exposes these truths of animal shelters, but it also tells inspiring stories of the grass-roots rescue network that has exploded across the nation in recent years. I would suggest this book to any dog lover.”
“While Kavin’s book focuses on animal shelters in the United States … the book is highly relevant to Canadian readers. As abhorrent as it may seem, there are animal shelters in Canada which use gas chambers to euthanize large numbers of dogs at once. … Little Boy Blue gives a disturbing glimpse into the world of high-volume “kill shelters,” making me all the more grateful for the Fort McMurray SPCA, which remains proudly no-kill in spite of the many budgetary and space constraints which continue to face the shelter as the city’s population grows.”
“After reading it, we can’t stop talking about it, and thinking about it. … It’s a powerful story of those that care and work miracles, those that follow their directives from small city run municipalities and believe they are doing the right thing for their community, and those that believe they are helping pets, but may actually be hurting. … If you’ve ever thought about, or have adopted a dog or cat from a shelter or rescue, this book is a must read. … Kim has a knack for investigation and telling real stories of hope, betrayal, sadness, success and true love for those in need. We want to thank Barron’s Educational Series, the publisher of Little Boy Blue, as they will be donating a portion of proceeds of the book to the Petfinder Foundation to help further their efforts in helping dogs like me and Blue find their furever homes.”
Little Boy Blue 