“I had always felt that any dog I took care of would’ve done the same for me if it could, and in fact by rescuing them they filled my heart in such a way that I was rescued right back.” –Julie Klam

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I’m a dog person through and through. We have three of them, and I’ve talked about them several times here, but I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that they are all rescue animals. My husband got his dog Eddie as a puppy in the shelter, and I got Cleo as a 2-year-old from the same place. Oliver was a stray from the street with a limp that we really shouldn’t have taken on, but then we saw his big eyes and adorable tongue and his obvious need for affection and we couldn’t say no.

Julie Klam makes me feel better about our crazy dog ways. This truly “short and sweet” memoir about some of her experiences with fostering and rescuing dogs reveals Julie as a kindred spirit in that she has a heart for dogs and will go to extreme lengths to provide them with the best life possible, but she’s no expert on training. Now I don’t feel so bad that our dogs bark at every little thing, pull on their leashes, and don’t always get along with other animals. Also, Julie’s personality really comes through in her writing, and she comes across as funny, down-to-earth, and laid-back; basically, someone I would like to be friends with.

Julie’s stories are so true in that you’d never realize how much of an influence dogs can have on you and your relationships until you’ve experienced it. Some of my best memories with my husband involve our dogs. Each of the three chapters focuses on one specific dog rescue, but it ends up being about so much more. Whether it’s bringing her and her husband together again, taking a step back from materialism, or learning about true sacrifice, dogs are at the heart of it all.

Over the past several months, as I’ve given birth to and learned to care for my new baby, my dogs have been somewhat neglected. After reading Love At First Bark I’ve redoubled my efforts to give them extra snuggles and to reassure them that I still love them as much as ever. After all, we are their whole world.

Read more reviews and join the discussion about your experience with animal rescue over at the BlogHer book club.

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Disclosure: I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.