Pup Culture by Victoria Lily Shaffer

Pup Culture

by Victoria Lily Shaffer

Prepare yourself for every step of the dog adoption process and make your new best friend's life the happiest and healthiest it can be with these fostering and adoption tips and tales from dog-loving expert Victoria Schaffer.

Adopting a dog and making them the newest member of your family can sometimes feel like a daunting task. How do you know what dog is right for you? What do you need to know about the adoption process? And how do you make sure your new best friend has the best life possible while they're settling into their new home? Pup Culture is here to help.

Pup Culture is a well-deserved ode to man's best friend. Fostering-extraordinaire Victoria Lily Shaffer presents a wide-ranging collection of dog adoption and fostering tales, tips, handy checklists, heartwarming stories, and Q&A's from both celebs-like Dan Levy, Glenn Close, and David Letterman-as well as everyday dog lovers.

These inspiring stories and lessons dig deep into the beloved relationships between dogs and humans, from exploring the harrowing journey of finding your perfect "fur-ever" companion to spotlighting the selfless, dedicated community of rescuers that help save and change lives.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Pup Culture is a heartwarming collection of dog adoption stories along with dog parenting tips and tricks curated and presented by Victoria Lily Shaffer. Due out 26th Oct 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an exuberant and chatty book. The author's enduring enthusiasm for rescue, adoption, and animal welfare shines throughout. She tells her own story of dog adoption (after wearing down her parents, a familiar story to most readers) and their family's life after adopting their dogs. Scattered throughout the biography and dog life stories are small DIY tutorials, checklists, and tips for making canine family life less stressful and more successful.

I really enjoyed reading the vignettes and stories related by friends and acquaintances of the author. Bob Letterman's (Dave's shepherd mix) adoption is related along with a cute Thanksgiving story as well as many stories of adoption and fostering by the author and her immediate family. All of the stories throughout the book are interspersed with highlighted text sidebars with facts and tips about dog ownership and the daily realities of being a dog-parent. I was unaware, for example, that most large pet supply stores will allow returns of opened food packages if the animal is allergic or refuses to eat the purchased food.

This is a quirky but engaging book and I enjoyed reading it and looking at all of the adorable dog pics. It would make a good choice for library acquisition, gifting to a dog lover, or for readers who enjoy slice-of-life animal stories. I would also recommend this selection for people contemplating pet adoption. The author doesn't shy away from discussing some of the difficulties as well as the joys of being a pet parent.

Four stars. Cute and enjoyable.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 September, 2021: Finished reading
  • 12 September, 2021: Reviewed