Dog Book

When art and compassion converge, there is no telling what kind of magic will spring forth. In the case of author/artist Emily Eve Weinstein, that convergence results in her latest labor of love, DOG BOOK. In DOG BOOK, Weinstein showcases her original oil paintings and her related tales of dogs found on highways and in shelters, of dogs abandoned and then rescued, even of dogs that rescue others.

From the unadoptable mutt who finally finds a home to the Search and Rescue dogs of 9/11, DOG BOOK offers us a compelling and often amusing glimpse into the life of over 60 remarkable canines and their people. Combining captivating prose with oil paintings and pencil drawings of her subjects and inspired by those subjects she so intuitively portrays, Weinstein masterfully manages to bridge the gap between artist and essayist. "Each dog became my muse," Weinstein says. "Animal neglect and abuse are all too common. My greatest hope is to educate without lecturing or serving a double dose of saccharine. I hope my readers find themselves in my words and images and join in helping make this a better world for all beings. All of my subjects display courage—whether it is the courage to give human caregivers a second chance or to search through the rubble of the decimated World Trade Center. This book is about awareness and hope."

CAT BOOK and soon DOG BOOK will be used for fund raisers nationally through animal rescue groups, no-kill shelters, and those that hope to become no-kill shelters. "I wrote this book so more homes would open to more strays," Weinstein says. "So many people’s lives have been touched by animals, lives that would have missed out on so much had the dogs been needlessly euthanized."

One such dog is Bugsy, a senior cocker spaniel, who had been orphaned. In Dog Book in the story entitled "Divine Intervention," we meet Bugsy when a decision is being made, whether to euthanize or neuter him. A client passing by takes him to her job at the Renaissance Nursing Home. Thereafter, for the last three years of his life, Bugsy brings joy at Renaissance as a therapy dog. Then there is "Saint Ginny of Long Island," a touching, strange, funny story of a schnauzer-husky-mix that rescues cats:

Out on one of their first walks, Ginny starts pulling and barking. Three men up ahead are kicking something about. Ginny lunges at them. Dang, it’s a cat! Phil yells at them to quit as he charges at them with his gimpy arm inside his leather jacket. Ginny breaks free to snap at their fleeing feet. With them gone, she tends to their victim by tenderly licking his bruises. The black cat is named Vogue and comes to live with Ginny and Phil. "Hey, I thought you didn’t like cats?" "Ginny is very persuasive."

These dogs’ stories serve as living proof that given a chance, time and the proper attention, even the most unlikely stray can find a home.

Weinstein also pays tribute to the 350 Search and Rescue dogs and their handlers who came from all 50 states in the effort to locate 9/11 survivors and to the NYPD dogs that stayed on after the others had left. She offers a glimpse into the amazing work of these canine heroes, how they braved the most dangerous of conditions in hope of finding life beneath the smoking rubble where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. One painting shows a black and tan German shepherd carefully navigating a fallen beam amidst smoldering debris in search of remains. The animals were often singed, bruised, cut by the end of the long search day; yet, revitalized, they would always return to the heap to resume their mission.

DOG BOOK will delight those who appreciate fine art as much as it will a general audience and animal lovers alike. Some of Ms. Weinstein’s work from the book, including paintings and story passages, can be viewed on her website at weinsteinart.com.