I missed last week’s review post in part because the book I had queued up was too strongly an echo of what I’ve been seeing on social media after the US election. That and my focus on NaNo left little time for extra reading.

This week I’m reviewing an odd, short work that touches on something near and dear to my heart–the plight of pets abandoned by their families into shelters.

A Night at the Animal Shelter offers a look at shelter life from the perspective of the animals themselves. I say it’s odd because it reads like a children’s story in a lot of ways (and I’m not referring to the animal characters, either) but the language and content is more mature at times, indicating it’s intended for adult readers.

I enjoyed the characters, both human and dog, because they were distinct and interesting. Ginny, the human, is a kind-hearted, well-meaning woman who found a new purpose in caring for those pets who lack a place to go home to. We know her only through what she says to the dogs and how they perceive her. The five dogs are a mix of breeds, sizes, ages, and personalities from an over-excited puppy all the way to an 11 year old that read true to their characters.

The ending seemed a bit rushed, and I’d have expected more consequences to the events, but even so, the story offers a good holiday tale. It reminds me of The Incredible Journey in a lot of ways as the dogs explore what led them to the shelter and discuss their dream family who will come and adopt them.

At the same time, it brings to light some of the conditions in animal shelters, not abuse but rather the issue of unadoptables and the circumstances that lead to dogs being surrendered. I’ve volunteered at a local shelter, though my focus is cats, and found this story very true to that experience, especially the issue of unadoptables because of age, breed, and other factors.

It’s not a perfect story, but it is a strong one. I hope it inspires folks to seek their next friend at a shelter and maybe look beyond their expectations to consider some pet who might not find it as easy to attract a new family. I can say from experience that when we went looking for a Siamese kitten and came home with a senior Maine Coon, it was one of the best decisions ever as Fawkes was a wonderful member of our family.