Love at First Bark

August 22, 2011
Dedicated dog rescuer Klam (You Had Me at Woof) has a full house in the Manhattan apartment she shares with her husband, their daughter, and their three less-than-polite pooches. So when rising rent prompts a move to a neighborhood uptown, tensions flare as the constant budget crunching and revolving door of foster pets begins to wear on Klam and husband Paul. But while Klam’s inability to say no to a dog in need gets in the way of things like a clean carpet or a quiet Saturday morning, the knowledge that they serve as a gateway to a new life for these beleaguered animals eventually brings the couple closer. Their adventures include rescuing a pit bull Paul finds tied to a neighborhood street sign, fostering an adorable but un-housebroken dog with neurological problems, and chasing a dog with a jar stuck on his head through the streets and swamps of post-Katrina Louisiana. Klam’s quick-draw wit often elicits chuckles, even in spots where the narrative lags. And though the reader senses her enthusiasm occasionally outweighing her ability to follow through, Klam’s heart is clearly in the right place. Her triumphs and missteps alike make for a light and delightful read.

October 1, 2011
Klam (You Had Me at Woof, 2010, etc.) offers a collection of compassionate tales of dog rescue. Canine lovers will sit up and take notice, as this slim volume delivers much heart and Klam's signature self-deprecating humor. When financial struggles culminated in a move to a dangerous city neighborhood, the author and her husband had their hands full with a young daughter and three rambunctious dogs. Further money woes added strain to their relationship. Then they stumbled upon Morris, a lovable mixed pit bull who had been tied to a street sign on a hot day and abandoned without food or water. One does not have to be a dog owner to cringe at the image of cigarette burn marks on Morris' paw or to understand how helping this sweet dog brought Klam and her husband closer together. The author also introduces readers to other beloved but challenging cases like Clementine who suffered with fecal incontinence. Those who work in animal rescue will relate to the camaraderie of teamwork involved, via Facebook and Twitter feeds, in striving to find good homes for older or infirm dogs. After a trip to New Orleans for a fundraiser, Klam realized that rescuers are only human, but "there is a superpower that comes from knowing you're making a difference in the world around you." A realistic, joyful account.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 15, 2011

Klam earned an Emmy nomination for her work on VH1's Pop-Up Video, but you'll know her from last year's best-selling canine love-fest memoir, You Had Me at Woof. Here she reveals what dogs she has rescued have given her and recounts stories of other people saved by the dogs they've saved. Can't miss with the enormous dog-loving crowd; national tour.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2011
In You Had Me at Woof (2010), Klam cheerfully told how she transformed herself from a desperate young woman who had never had a pet into a happy dog-rescuer with a husband, a daughter, and a house full of Boston terriers. In her new book, she continues on the same path in three stories about her role in rescuing dogs assumed to be unadoptable. In each case, she takes us down to the street or into the woods to witness her first encounter with a dog that just needs food, health care, training, and loving attention to become someone's prized companion. In the process, she entertains us with details of her life, the wide network of dog rescuers with whom she texts, and the sweet dogs who have torn her home apart while fixing her heart. These lively stories set in New York City and the outskirts of New Orleans should be entertaining to read aloud, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)