Pukka’s Promise by Ted Kerasote – Book Review
Have you ever had a pet that was so special, that he forever changed your life?
Ted Kerasote has.
For nearly 13 years, Ted traversed the Rockies and the Wyoming wilderness with his best friend, Merle – a half-wild, lab/hound/retriever mix he first encountered in the Utah desert when Merle was only 10 months old.
Before long, a special bond formed between the two of them and Ted and Merle became inseparable – that is, until, 13 years later, when a cruel medical diagnosis shattered Ted’s world. Faced with the knowledge that the dog of his heart was dying – and heartbroken as he watched the magical world that he and Merle shared crumble to dust – Ted found himself asking the same question that countless dog lovers before him have asked:
Why must our dogs die so young?
In the months that followed, Ted grieved, and the depth of his loss was enormous. As part of his healing process, he wrote Merle’s biography, touching countless people in the process. As he replaced, “word by word, the grief of losing him with the joy of reassembling the tender details of who he had been”, a national best-seller, Merle’s Door – Lessons From A Freethinking Dog, was birthed.
Eventually, Ted found himself ready to open his heart to a new dog but – after spending so many years with Merle – he did not want just any dog. He wanted a dog that possessed many of the qualities that made Merle so special – and he wanted to ensure that he took every step possible to ensure that, from a genetic, environmental, and lifestyle standpoint, his new dog would lead the longest and healthiest life possible.
And so, Pukka’s Promise – The Quest For Longer Lived Dogs, was born.
In Pukka’s Promise, Ted masterfully weaves together three tales – the story of his last days with Merle – his search for and life with his new puppy, Pukka – and his research into all aspects of canine longevity – into one moving and fascinating book.
Pukka’s Promise is rich in details about what dogs think, how dogs act, and how dogs feel, based on his personal observations and interactions. It is also filled with Ted’s extensive research on everything you need to know to give your dog the best chance of leading a long and healthy life.
During the course of his research, Ted leaves no stones unturned.
- He spends hours in the wild, trekking wildlife and exploring the evolutionary connections between various species and the longevity of dogs.
- He travels across and outside of the country visiting rendering plants to see first hand how pet food is made.
- He pours through medical journals and interviews everyone from veterinarians to animal researchers to breeders to animal welfare leaders to bring us the latest news on such hotly debated topics as nutrition, environmental pollutants, spaying and neutering, and breeding.
- He also explores specialized topics such as how the amount of freedom a dog enjoys contributes to its health, well-being and longevity.
Pukka’s Promise is a compelling animal story and eye-opening expose that belongs on every dog and animal lover’s bookshelf.
About Ted Kerasote
Ted Kerasote is an award-winning author and photographer who writes about the interrelationship between people, animals and the environment. During his diverse, four-decades-long career, he has traveled around the world in his quest to bridge the gap between people with seemingly irreconcilable differences. His professional achievements reflect his goals: he has won awards from groups ranging from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals) to the Izaak Walton League of America (a pro-hunting organization).
For more information about Ted:
Visit Ted Kerasote’s website.
Visit Ted Kerasote’s Facebook Page.
For more great books, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews.
Pukka’s Promise – Book Giveaway
I loved Pukka’s Promise and I am thrilled to team up with Blog Paws and publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to offer one lucky reader their very own copy of this book!
CONGRATULATIONS To Our Lucky Winner
Ineke at Scrapydo
To enter this giveaway, leave a SEPARATE COMMENT on this blog post for each entry you submit. Include your Name, E-Mail and any requested data so that I can verify your entries and contact you in the event that you win!
1. Required Entry: Follow Create With Joy through one or more of the options on the sidebar – then – leave a comment letting me know how you are following and why you would like to win a copy of this book!
2. Bonus Entry(s): Share this giveaway on your blog and/or favorite social media platforms. Receive 1 bonus entry with each verifiable link you submit!
If you’d like to share on Twitter, you can tweet up to three times a day and receive 1 entry per verified tweet.
Please Copy & Paste The Following Tweet For Your Entries
Win a copy of Pukka’s Promise from @hmhbooks at the @CreateWithJoy1 Book Giveaway http://create-with-joy.com thru 3/8/13 #Books #Dogs #Pets
Additional Information
This giveaway closes on Friday, March 8, 2013. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. The winner will be contacted via e-mail and have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.
This giveaway is open to Create With Joy followers who are 18 and over. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law. All decisions by Create With Joy are final.
Prize fulfillment is the sole responsibility of the publisher. Create With Joy will submit the winner’s contact information to the publisher for the sole purpose of prize fulfillment. Create With Joy is not responsible for prize delivery or for prizes that are lost in transit.
By submitting an entry, you are indicating that you have read and agree to these Official Rules.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Houghton Mifflin Books for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Hopping around with Linking with my Ladies!
I am trying to take part in the following posts Inspire me Monday,Wordless Wednesday and Friendship Friday. I love my dog buddy Trompie very much and would appreciate it if I could take part in the draw to receive the copy of Pukka’s Promise. I had a look in our library but they don’t have any copies of Ted Kerasote’s books
Twitter: breathoffaith
says:
The book looks great. What a beautiful dog. Would love to win and learn what he has to share since I also love our rescue Banjo. (Aurora and Ashley have mixed feelings about the big lug but accept that he is part of our family, too. Even though they came first!)
Twitter: breathoffaith
says:
Of course I follow you multiple ways BUT I tweeted- https://twitter.com/breathoffaith/status/307063390965231617
Thanks for the review and chance to win a copy!
Twitter: goaskkatie
says:
what a nice giveaway. I am a follower. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop your participation is what makes it so much fun. Hugs!
Here is a link to my latest contribution of Trompie my buddy and his best friends. He really is very special. I had 4 mini Schnauzers before him,. The last one was Nancy who was already 15 years and I had to send her to heaven because she wouldn’t have survived the trip from South Africa to New Zealand.
http://scrapydo.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/trompies-friends-friendship-friday-dogs/
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Awesome post and photos Ineke – thanks for sharing these with us at Friendship Friday this week!
PUKKA’S PROMISE looks wonderful.
Email Subscriber:
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Truly a fabulous book Mary – best of luck to you!
I follow you on FB. (Priceless Writers).
I’d like to win this book because it sounds extremely interesting.
The book sounds amazing and I bet it brings a tear to your eye. I like the part about research in the food that dogs eat. I would be really interested in that. Thanks for sharing!
Maggie
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
You will love this book Maggie – Ted is a masterful writer and researcher – I have put Merle’s Door, his previous book, on my “must read” booklist!
Twitter: Stackingbks
says:
Looks like a superb book. Must read it with DD sometime. Thanks for sharing. We are followers on G+
-Reshama
http://www.stackingbooks.com
Love the reveiw of this book. If you are a dog lover it sounds like a perfect book.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Sally – it was truly a wonderful book!
Follow you on facebook
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Follow you by email and google friends
Twitter: james_judy
says:
Thanks for hosting this giveaway. I follow your blog several ways as I added some more today – Twitter, Facebook, Linky Followers and Google +. I would be happy to win this book as my favourite pets are dogs.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Best of luck to you Judy – this is an awesome book!
I initially didn’t enter this contest, thinking the book was a sad tear-jerker that I wouldn’t be able to handle! Thanks for encouraging me to take a second look! I am passionate about animal welfare, particularly the spay-neuter issue. Afer reading, I would donate the book to the library so more can be informed.
I follow by GFC – signed up months ago and love coming here for crafts, cat stories, and linking!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
It’s not a sad tear-jerker – if you are passionate about animal welfare, you will definitely want to read this book!
Best of luck to you Joyce! 🙂
I like when more than one tale comes into the story line, and three is even better!
I’m visiting today from the No Rules Weekend Blog Party. 🙂
Twitter: jennyevolution
says:
Time to shine! Share your favorite post of the week at Friday Flash Blog Hop with The Jenny Evolution! Visit http://www.thejennyevolution.com.
This book sounds really Powerful…
It is so hard losing your best friend but I like how he finds the good in it…
I definitely believe there is good in every situation if you look from the right Perspective…
Great Post for the letter P…
A+