An Interview with Kyla Duffy from Happy Tails Books

Anytime I hear someone wanting to obtain a purebred animal, I always recommend that they go to a breed rescue. The fact is, there is a breed rescue group for just about any breed out there. The benefits of rescuing an animal from a breed group is that these animals have already been living in foster homes with people who have learned their temperments. This way, they can match you and your family with the pet that would be the best fit for your lifestyle. Further, you are saving a life!

With my strong advocacy for rescuing purebreds in mind, I was particularly excited to come across an organization that is producing the coolest books! Happy Tails Books, at www.HappyTailsBooks.com, is a book collection of stories written by people who have rescued their purebred, and mixed breed, dogs. Each book is specific to one breed, with a seperate book being dedicated just to mixed breeds. These books highlight what wonderful animals you can adopt through rescue groups and shelters, and do an enormous service in helping save the lives of these animals by spreading the word.

Kyla Duffy is the founder, and co-editor, of Happy Tails Books, and tells us here about her wonderful organization!

Animal Advocating: Can you tell us a little bit about Happy Tails Books and their purpose?

Kyla Duffy: I’m a foster mom who founded Happy Tails Books in an effort to raise awareness about dog rescue and the deplorable conditions that some breeding dogs live in (usually the ones that are the parents of the dogs you find in pet stores and on suspect Internet sites). For a long time I felt helpless to do anything more than help one dog at a time by fostering. Then, the idea of Happy Tails Books popped into my head. I thought that by sharing the stories of adopted dogs, including the joy rescued dogs have brought to their new families and ideas about how to put an end to the suffering, I could help more than one dog at a time. My favorite thing about Happy Tails Books is that it’s not just a socially responsible company, it’s a project that is driven by the love and compassion of owners of rescued dogs, and it benefits everyone involved.

Our books are compilations of stories written by people who have adopted dogs. The dogs included in the books can come from anywhere, the only ones who are excluded are dogs who were bought from breeders or pet stores. I think it’s important for me to clarify here that HTB doesn’t have anything against reputable breeders, their dogs just are not what our books are about. As people submit stories through our online submission form, we organize them into breed-specific or regional books (for mixed breed dogs).

AA: What breeds have you covered so far?

KD: Because I work with Boston Terrier rescue, I naturally turned to them for help with the first book. Nine rescue groups stepped up to help us collect stories, and I think the book came out quite good! It’s called “Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspirational Stories of Adopted Boston Terriers.” We had twelve rescue groups help with our second book, “Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspiring Stories About Golden Retrievers.” Both books are available on our website and on Amazon. They will be available through bookstores and pet stores once we finish a few more breeds. Dachshunds, Labs and Chihuahuas are up next. We’re still collecting stories for those books and will begin editing soon.

AA: What are your goals in making these books?

KD: First, and foremost, our goal is to produce books that are enjoyable to read and thought-provoking. Second, our books are a venue for proud owners to share the joy their adopted dogs have brought into their lives. This is important because people should know that many of these dogs have come from dire situations and have gone on to lead a life of love, trust, and companionship. Third, our books dispel misconceptions about rescued dogs. For example, they teach readers that not all dogs in rescue arrived there because they were neglected - some are from families who truly loved their dogs but fell on financial hardships. Fourth, the breed-specific books (we’re doing mixed breed books too) share information about the breed, and inform readers about breed-specific rescue groups. Lastly, the books give rescue groups exposure and provide a source of donations, as a significant portion of proceeds is donated back to the groups that help us to collect stories. Interested non-profit rescue groups can apply to be a part of our Rescue Partner Program at our online Rescue Partner Program Form.
 

AA: Do you have any other plans in the works to expand or try other directions to add to your collection of books?

KD: Each year we will publish 3-6 breed-specific books about adopted dogs. We will also be publishing regional books about mixed breed dogs (for example, “Amazing Dogs of the Rocky Mountains”). We are also working with a few other authors of dog-related books who are committed to our mission. We’ll help them publish their books, too.

AA: Can you recap one of your favorite stories?

KD: Oh, there are so many! One of my favorites from “Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspirational Stories of Adopted Boston Terriers” is about a woman who was freaked out by how “googly” Boston Terrier eyes tend to be. She went online and looked for a Boston without protruding eyes, and thought she found one. When she went to meet him, he was standing at the top of the stairs of his foster home with the most googly eyes she had ever seen! (They really are - you can’t even tell which way he is looking! Picture included). He ran down the stairs, jumped into her arms and starting licking her, which sealed the deal. These days, his eyes are her favorite part of him.

AA: Do you have any rescued pets of your own?

KD: I’ve got two eight-year-old cats I adopted as kittens, and my dog Bill is a three-year-old ex-puppy mill breeder. Funny enough, my husband didn’t want us to get a full-time dog so we gave fostering a try. Bill, one of the most traumatized dogs our group had ever seen, was one of our fosters. Long story short, we had him for an hour before he got out of our yard and spent three weeks living in the woods. We were so glad when he was found, and put so much effort into his rehabilitation, that we couldn’t possible give him up! He’s with us to stay, and we try and keep a foster dog around for him as much as possible (he loves to play!). His full story, if you’re interested, is online here, and I keep a blog of my experiences with foster dogs here.

AA: I know that you are looking for story submissions from those who have rescued animals; can you tell us what kind of stories that you are looking for, and how they can be submitted to you?

KD: Because we mean for the “Lost Souls: FOUND!” series of books about adopted dogs to be entertaining and educational, the book includes several different sections. The main section of the book is comprised of 600-1200 word long stories about adopted dogs. The best stories are emotional, and have a clear point. We also have a section of anecdotes about the dogs. These are paragraph long stories that tell something cute, funny, heartwarming. We always have a challenges section as well. These are paragraph long stories about a challenge with the dog (usually medical or behavioral) and how it was overcome. Lastly, we like to include a favorite recipe and some poetry. We are also always looking for professional photographers who would like to support this cause - we need photos for the front and back covers of the book. The FAQ’s section of our website is comprehensive, and stories should be submitted through the submission form.

AA: Thank you Kyla! And the Animal Advocate suggest that her readers run to their computers and snap-up their copies right away!