Rescue Road
Page 23
As soon as I mentioned the possibility of writing Greg’s story to my agent Joelle DelBourgo, her only question was: How fast can you get a proposal to me? She, too, immediately saw the promise in this story. I’ve worked with Joelle on five books now and I am fortunate to have her as my advocate.
Stephanie Bowen, my astute and attentive editor at Sourcebooks, showed great enthusiasm for this project from the start. Thank you, Stephanie, for embracing Rescue Road and making it the best it could be. Also, my thanks to:
Liz Kelsch and Lathea Williams, my publicity team at Sourcebooks; Grace Menary-Winefield, the project editor; Becca Sage, the production editor; Adrienne Krogh in Sourcebooks’ design department for her terrific work on a powerful and heartwarming cover; Jillian Rahn for her work on the internal design; and the many others who touched this book during the publication process, including Shana Drehs.
One person who had no say about spending many, many hours with me on the road was “Tommy,” Greg’s other driver and helping hand on the road. He was clear from the start he didn’t want his real name used, but he puts in long hours helping Greg get these dogs to freedom, and though we had some good-natured arguments about politics on the road, he was always gracious and welcoming to me. The cab of that truck is a small space for two—even smaller for three. Thank you, Tommy.
Then there are the rescuers you read about who showed me ropes, took me to the shelters, the Dumpsters, and the pounds, and gave me a firsthand, up-close, unvarnished look at the rescue world. I am deeply grateful to Keri Bullock Toth first and foremost (who was also our Labs4rescue adoption coordinator for Albie); Greta Jones and Sarah Kelly of the CenLa Alliance for Animals; April Reeves, formerly of Lafayette Animal Aid; Melinda and Gary Falgout and Carly Faughn of Lafayette Animal Aid; Jamie Clark, a volunteer at Saint Martin Parish Animal Services and now with Lafayette Animal Aid; Tom English of Texas City, a freelance rescuer; Kathy Wetmore of Houston Shaggy Dog Rescue; Kelle Davis and Alicia McCarty of Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward in Houston; Sarah Manns of Companion Animal Outreach in San Leon, Texas; Cathy Mahle of Labs4rescue and the many Labs4rescue volunteers I spoke or corresponded with; and Bethany Hickey of Mutts4rescue.
Many thanks to Dr. Bari Haas, Micheal Mitchell, and the staff of the Haas Animal Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana, where Keri Toth works as a vet tech. They let me hang out for a few days and observe them at work, splitting their time between paying clients and caring for all the rescues Keri brings in.
Two shelter directors spoke with me at some length and allowed me to tour their facilities, Michelle Brignac of Saint Martin Parish Animal Services and Virginia Lee of Lafayette Animal Control. I am grateful to them and to Henry Wimbley of Alexandria Animal Control, who also permitted me to tour his shelter with Sarah Kelly. Mauricio Zepeda, adoption and volunteer coordinator of Houston’s BARC shelter, gave me a thorough tour of BARC with Kathy Wetmore and answered all my questions.
Thanks too to Greg’s Angels, especially Keith and Diane Remaly of the Allenton Angels, Lynda Ingle and Lynn Watson of the Birmingham Angels, and Annette Woodcock of the Rocky Hill Angels.
I owe a great debt to Krista Lombardo for saving Albie’s life and caring for him while he was confined in the Alexandria shelter for several months waiting for someone—us it turned out—to give him his forever home. And I owe the same debt to CJ Nash for thinking fast and saving Salina and her littermates. CJ is a terrific young man, smart, worldly, and ambitious, with a future as wide as the horizon. It was a pleasure to meet him, his mother, and his brothers and to see where Salina was born.
I am so thankful to Rae McManus who helped save Salina, connected me with CJ and the Nash family, and became a terrific advocate for this book. Thank you, Rae and Meredith, Rae’s daughter.
Thank you to Tilani Pomirko who fostered Willis and poured her heart out in an interview shortly before Willis left for his forever home.
Jane Zippilli is an excellent photographer who chronicles many Gotcha Days in Spring Valley, New York. I am grateful to her for allowing us to use several of her images in this book. Thanks, too, to Alicia McCarty, Denise Trapani, and Larry Crawford for the use of their photos, as well.
Several adopting families allowed me to visit with them or spoke to me after their Gotcha Days so I could see how things were going. Thanks to Mary Ellen and Phil Gambutti, Glenna and Bill Mooney, Brenda Byers-Britney, Diana Ducharme and Luke and Tara McInerney, Jim Doyle, Anna Wright, the Dooley family, and Elizabeth Frampton.
To everyone who spoke with me for this book but whom I failed to mention by name, please forgive me for the oversight and thank you.
Finally, a shout-out to Café Medley on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. For the price of a few cups of coffee, I rented a table in March of 2014 and wrote the book proposal for Rescue Road. A year later, I was back at the same table, revising the manuscript. It really is a special place where everyone knows your name.
PHOTO CREDITS
Back Cover Photo: Denise Trapani
Page ix: Rescue Road Trips
Page 1: Peter Zheutlin
Page 25: Jane Zippilli
Page 51: Peter Zheutlin
Page 63: Jane Zippilli
Page 99: Peter Zheutlin
Page 115: Peter Zheutlin
Page 139: Forgotten Dogs of the Fifth Ward Project/Alicia McCarty
Page 153: Rescue Road Trips
Page 171: Rescue Road Trips
Page 191: Larry Crawford
Page 192: Rescue Road Trips
Page 207: Jane Zippilli
Page 219: Judy Gelman
Author Photo: Judy Gelman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PETER ZHEUTLIN IS A FREELANCE journalist and author whose work has appeared regularly in the Boston Globe and the Christian Science Monitor. Mr. Zheutlin has also written for the Los Angeles Times, Parade magazine, AARP The Magazine, and numerous other publications in the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride (Citadel Press, 2007). He is also the coauthor, with Thomas B. Graboys, MD, of Life in the Balance: A Physician’s Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss with Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia (Union Square Press, 2008), with Robert P. Smith, of Riches Among the Ruins: Adventures in the Dark Corners of the Global Economy (Amacom, 2009), and with Judith Gelman, of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars, and Restaurants of Mad Men (SmartPop/BenBella Books, 2011) and The Unofficial Girls Guide to New York: Inside the Cafes, Clubs, and Neighborhoods of HBO’s Girls (SmartPop/BenBella, 2013). He resides in Massachusetts with his wife, author Judith Gelman, and has two grown sons. Visit him online at www.peterzheutlin.com.
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