returned

Prepare For Emotional Whiplash
If you've ever wondered what drives animal rescue and shelter workers, please give this little gem a careful read. Amy artfully arranges and exposes the thoughts and emotions that usually only exist as a chaotic swirl in our heads. You’ll get a glimpse of how that which breaks us into pieces is what also glues us back together. Again and again. After reading this, you may never look at a shelter person the same again.

Souls Behind Pet Rescue
While "returned" may be a compilation of short stories & reflections, in reality it is a love letter dedicated to all of those angels disguised as humans that work in animal rescue. It’s a collection of devastatingly beautiful & hopeful pieces. As an animal lover and someone passionate about rescue first, it was food for my soul that both broke my heart and inspired me to look forward to the next chapter in my own personal adoption journey. Thank you Amy for your beautiful words and sharing the light & the darkness in the world of rescue. We see you.

Absolutely Perfect
I read this book with a foster dog at my feet, and my 14 year old puppy at my side. Both mutts, both returns. This quick read is an emotional rollercoaster that I recommend to any animal lover. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Go-To Gift For The Animal Lovers In Your Life!
I was gifted this book shortly after rescuing a puppy. It will break your heart and then hold your broken heart with tenderness. I immediately ordered a copy for another friend. It would make the perfect stocking stuffer for any dog lover, or a great congratulatory gift for someone who has recently opened their home to a shelter dog.

What experts are saying about returned :
"This true tale of love, heartbreak, and redemption gives us a unique look at what it's really like to work inside an animal shelter."
Author, Editor at LoveDog.com - Taylor Plimpton

"There's lots of different ways to approach this topic but few would stand out as original as this one. We liked the innovative structure of this narrative, the capable prose and the honesty of voice."
Author, Journalist at The Times - Tom Ball

Amy is a songwriter and shelter dog advocate who has worked in the animal shelter system for four years. Her original mini-musical "Shelter Me" made its debut in 2019. She currently lives comfortably inside herself, alongside her trophy husband and their rescues Willow and Mable. This is the first book that she's written. She's read a few.

Returned is an insider's look at what it's really like to work at an animal shelter. Comprised of lyric essays, hybrid narrative nonfiction and poetry. 2022 Winner of the Maxwell Medallion from DWAA (Dog Writer's Association of America) in Rescue/Adoption