Join Us For "Travels with Casey": Review And Giveaway!

Enter to win a hardback copy of Travels with Casey—details at the end of this post!

Imagine a 13,000 mile road trip, crisscrossing the country in a rented RV, with your slightly moody dog your only companion  That's exactly what acclaimed New York Times writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis undertook with his Labrador mix, Casey, in 2012, and luckily for us, documented in his intelligent and witty book, Travels with Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country. But there was no monotony on this trip. Denizet-Lewis planned meet-ups with a cast of dog-obsessed characters along the way: in-demand dog photographer, Amanda Jones, dedicated dog rescuers, dog psychics, and even the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan, who gives Casey and his slightly beleaguered owner a few tips on establishing which one, dog or human, is the pack leader.

You'll get a flavor for the book,. and just what the author and his dog aimed to explore on their journey by watching the trailer below. Denizen-Lewis "...wants to tell the story of America's dogs and their dog-crazy humans," and does just that by painting a rich, first-hand portrait of our dog-obsessed culture.

Denizet-Lewis is noted for his in-depth research and "tell it like it is" style, most notably in his two previous books, and New York Times Magazine cover story on the plight of Bulldogs, widely regarded as the definitive analysis of dog breeding gone bad. We loved that Times Magazine article and shared it with you shortly after it was published in 2011. Although Travels with Casey is downright charming and often hilarious, it doesn't shy away from discussing the darker side of the human-dog relationship, including the puppy mill-pet store connection and the heartbreaking number of strays on some Indian reservations, among others.

But there's always an upside to any relationship, and for every high kill shelter or dog fighting ring, Denizet-Lewis highlights a corresponding saving grace, like his trip to the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country, Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah.

One of the best things about this book is how skillfully the author weaves anecdotes from his daily travels with important, expert-backed information about the history and current issues facing dogs and dog lovers across the country. And in turn, this analysis helps us better understand America's complicated relationship with our four-legged companions, and better understand our country's values through the way we treat our dogs. Mission accomplished.

Now on to our giveaway of one hardback copy of Travels with Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country. Enter via Rafflecopter below to win a copy of this fantastic book!

Potential winner limited to the continental United States. Void where prohibited. 
Note: We received a courtesy copy of Travels with Casey for our review, and one to give away to our winner. We received no other compensation and the opinions contained in this post are our own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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