A Home for Dixie is the true story of how
one abandoned puppy found its forever home. Written by the teenager who adopted
the adorable Dixie, and accompanied by heart-melting photos, the book outlines
the responsible way to become a pet-owning family and highlights the ongoing
problem of pet overpopulation. In the back of the book, readers can find more
information on the volunteer organizations working hard to match up pets with
people. Find this book in the Juvenile Nonfiction section at J 636.708 JAC.
If fiction is more your thing, then you might want to check out the Animal Ark series and the Wild at Heart series. In Puppies in the Pantry, Book 3 of the Animal Ark series, a famous dog goes missing and Mandy and her friend James have to find it. Mandy’s parents are veterinarians at the Animal Ark clinic so naturally she grew up wanting to help any animal in need she comes across. Each book in the series features a different type of animal and all of the stories end happily, making them good stories for ages 8 and up. This series can be found in Juvenile Fiction at J BAG. The Wild at Heart series also takes place at an animal clinic, where a group of friends volunteer. In Homeless, Book 2 of the series, Sunita wants a cat desperately but has to battle her mom’s veto. And again a pet goes missing, but this time it’s Socrates the vet mascot. While looking for Socrates, Sunita discovers a large colony of feral cats and learns a lot about abandoned animals. The series is written by Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of award-wining books for both teens and young adults, and while these are not of that caliber, the series is very popular with animal-loving readers in the upper elementary grades and can be found in Juvenile Fiction at J AND. Most importantly, all of these selections stress the importance of taking care of our furry and feathered friends. 
