Wallace

July 16, 2012
Gorant’s (The Lost Dogs) compelling and surprisingly elegant book tells the story of Wallace, a pit bull with a bad reputation who transforms with the love of a young couple. Rescued as a puppy from an abandoned breeding operation, adopted by a police officer, then reabandoned, Wallace ends up at the Paws & Claws Animal Shelter in Rochester, Minn., where he becomes the black sheep, displaying aggressive behavior toward both dogs and humans. Enter Andrew “Roo” Yori and his wife, Clara, self-professed “dog nerds” who immediately sense that there is “a good dog in there somewhere.” They advocate relentlessly for him, while biases against pit bulls and apprehension about his behavior cause the shelter to consider euthanasia. The Yoris eventually adopt Wallace, and shortly afterward discover his talent for competitive Frisbee. Gorant’s clear prose steers the reader through the little-known world of “disc dogs” and the hours of practice Roo and Wallace log, devising new tricks for the freestyle, where dog and human perform a “choreographed routine set to music.” Gorant never lets the narrative slip into the saccharine, and Wallace’s story will charm even readers who never knew they were interested in pit bulls or disc dogs. Agent: Matthew Carnicelli.

July 15, 2012
Sports Illustrated senior editor Gorant (Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, 2010, etc.) recounts the tale of a rescue dog who became a world champion Frisbee dog and a mascot for pit bulls. Apparently slated for an illegal dogfighting operation, Wallace was discovered by a policeman and eventually left with an animal shelter. His next owners, Andrew (Roo) Yori and his wife, Clara, had already adopted four dogs from the shelter, where she worked and he volunteered. At first, they hoped to find the puppy--whom they later named after NBA star Rasheed Wallace--a new adoptive home, but it became a problem. Not only do pit bulls have a bad reputation, but Wallace was a difficult dog. He was obstreperous with an unfortunate tendency to nip at other dogs, but he was playful and fundamentally friendly. Although the shelter turned to euthanasia only as a last resort, as time passed this seemed to be the future awaiting Wallace. Roo and Clara decided to take him in despite the problems. Roo used his own athletic prowess to train Wallace in disc-catching, and the sport provided an extreme athletic challenge for both man and dog. Gorant describes how they rose to the top in this highly competitive sport, and he also looks at the strains and rewards experienced by the newly married couple. Dog lovers will certainly enjoy the story of Wallace's journey, but the author's digressions interrupt the narrative flow. Too many detours confuse this account of an inspiring achievement.

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April 1, 2012

Having detailed the fate of Michael Vick's dogs in the heartrending and immaculately researched New York Times best-selling The Lost Dogs, Sports Illustrated senior editor Gorant describes the life story of another pit bull--Wallace, a rescue dog who went on to win or place impressively in dozens of local, national, and international doggie disc-catching competitions. The aim, though, was to clear up misunderstandings about the breed while letting Wallace have some fun.

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