Book review: ‘Sitting with Dogs’
Sitting with Dogs: Stories of Rescue Dogs Who Went from Lost to Loved by Rocky Kanaka. DK Publishing, 2025. Hardcover, 224 pages.
It all began with Flip. Early one morning, Rocky Kanaka’s rescued dog alerted Rocky’s wife that Rocky was having a stroke. Flip’s intuitiveness and quick action saved his person’s life. Upon recovering, Rocky, the author of Sitting with Dogs, vowed to give back and help save homeless dogs to honor what Flip had done for him.
To this end, he began visiting local shelters and discovering the canines most in need of love and understanding — the fearful ones who crouched in the back corner of a kennel, the ones who were dealing with medical issues, and the ones whose spirits seemed broken. Spending one-on-one time with the dogs, Rocky helped them come out of their shells and learn to trust people, making them more likely to catch the eye of potential adopters.
In Sitting with Dogs, Rocky shares the stories of nine dogs he came across in his work. As he follows their stories, some were adopted while others became part of foster programs.
When I began reading this book, I had no idea that the author had a large social media presence and was well known within animal rescue circles. Even if I had been aware of it, it wouldn’t have changed my take on the book. At the end of the day, Rocky Kanaka is simply a man who loves dogs, especially the ones most in need, and who has put that love into action in the hope of helping the dogs he meets land homes of their own.
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