( 6 reviews )
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Posted: Nov 7 2007
to make it to 21, despite it's owners stupidity. Also the poor neighbors that had to put up with Perth's comings and goings on their property, and the howling that they must of endured ---- unbelievable!!!!!
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Posted: Oct 5 2005
Peter and Cindy Martin bought Perth, a beautiful beagle at a well-known breeder in upstate New York. When they lived in Cazenovia, New York, Perth was allowed to run free and always would be regardless of the venue. When Peter got a job offer in Ohio, he took it, but Perth became a rotten devil. She was denied freedom in this boring atmosphere and soon got restless and snappy. This was why Peter and Cindy moved to Florida, where they were, "eager to embrace the more vivid subtropical climate and the majesty of the ocean, even if Florida had no hills." (p. 45) Florida proved to be just as bad, because while they were happier, Florida had a terrible climate and a very boring culture full of elderly people.
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Posted: Mar 18 2005
(NOTE: I initially wrote this review for the paperback edition, but I felt it appropriate to post it here as well.) Depending on your perspective, "A Dog Called Perth" is either heartwarming or heartbreaking. It's definitely a mixture of the two, but to some one may outweigh the other. Unfortunately for my reading experience, the heartbreaking aspect overwhelmed the story. Author Peter Martin and his wife, Cindy, obviously loved their beagle, Perth, to bits. They couldn't get enough of her, she was perfect in every way, shape and form. If Perth got into any trouble it was because someone provoked her in some way, or she was defending herself, or she was just being the way dogs are intended to be: free-spirited. Their love for this dog was clearly limitless, and the pedestal Perth was placed upon simply got taller and taller throughout her long, 21-year life. But that was the problem. Peter and Cindy were so wrapped up in Perth that they seemed to lose sight of the fact that she was a DOG. Now, I'm as much a dog-lover as the next guy, but these people's approach to raising and caring for their dog was not exactly what I'd call responsible. For instance, Perth had a history of biting people. And not just biting them -- but biting their NOSES. Scary, if you asked me, especially if you are unfortunate enough to be one of the recipients. But yet it was never Perth's fault -- Peter had warned people not to bend down next to Perth's head, and if they did and she bit them, then, oh well, too bad -- you were warned! Worst of all, when they had to go to England for a few months, they left Perth with complete strangers at a girls' summer camp. They only thought of Perth's needs and desires: to run free in the wilds of Vermont, to have access to every nook and cranny the wilderness had to offer, to chase rabbits and squirrels endlessly, and all the while have her food and water made ready for her by people who had only known the dog for all of one day. Not once did Peter and Cindy consider the danger of leaving a dog known to bite people and having no experience with children at a girls' summer camp. All that mattered was Perth's well-being, no one else's. Not once did Peter and Cindy put Perth on a leash. That is no exaggeration. They didn't "believe" in leashes -- even after Perth escaped from the girls' camp and went missing for six months. (Peter and Cindy, naturally, blamed the camp director for not controlling Perth better.) They eventually found her, but only because they were incredibly lucky and had enough money to offer up a decent reward. After getting her back, Perth was still allowed to roam free. The fact that she might have caused who-knows-how-many traffic accidents and random dog bites and dug-up gardens was unimportant to these owners. And yet, throughout the book you get the sense that their love and devotion to Perth is extremely genuine. Too bad it didn't demonstrate itself in ways that I could relate to. When I read the back of the book, I thought I would've been able to relate a lot to it. Like Perth, my dog Andie went missing, too. She was only gone for 11 days, but it was the worst 11 days of my life. But Andie went missing because one day our gate didn't latch properly and she got out, not because I left her behind with a bunch of strangers and allowed her to roam off-leash her entire life. My love for Andie rivals that of Peter and Cindy's love for Perth, but I believe it wins out because, honestly, I protect Andie and they did not. So, I'm sorry to say I came away disappointed with this book. Upon reading Amazon reviews for this book's hardback edition, I found I was not alone. Not by a long shot. Although beautifully written -- the main reason I'm giving it three stars -- I can't bring myself to recommend this book to anyone, dog lover or otherwise. I'd feel like I was adding to the irresponsibility with which Perth was raised, and she deserves better than th
