A Dogs Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dogs Way Home Reviews

• 
  Federico DN

  A dog's impossible journey through city and wilderness to reach its beloved owner.
  
  Bella is a good dog. After being rescued from a den, she grows inexplicably attached to Lucas. Having a dog isn't easy, and after teaching her to hide and not to bark, she nevertheless gets noticed in the apartments she's not allowed to live in. Barely escaping Animal Control and nearly put down because of her forbidden pit bull status in Denver, and after some other incidents too, Bella becomes lost. Finding herself separated from her beloved Lucas, nearly four hundred miles away, Bella begins a fantastic journey, through city and wilderness, to reach him. Making friends along the way, human and not, Bella is determined to find her way back to Lucas no matter what.
  
  A fairly enjoyable read. I specially enjoyed the bond between Bella and Big Kitten. For some reason I had this one on audio and the voices really didn't do it for me, so if you happen to want to read this I would suggest text. That doesn't mean I recommend it though, I loved the Purpose series books but I did not love this one. It's somewhat different, you get the Dogs POV like the others but not the multiple lives and Bailey is not in it. Bella is a wonderful doggie, she's a fantastic, but did not really grow on me like Bailey did. Still, a worthy read for the animal lover, heartwarming and moving at times.
  
  *** The movie is a decent adaptation of the book. Some things were omitted, as to be expected, but still all the main ingredients were there. The special effects were good, the acting not so much, pretty flat. Bella and Big Kitten were the best part, obviously.
  
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  PERSONAL NOTE: [2017] [336p] [Dog Novel] [Beautiful] [Almost Recommendable] [Epic Journey] [Interspecies Friendship]
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  Un imposible viaje perruno a través de la ciudad y tierras salvajes para alcanzar a su amado dueño.
  
  Bella es una buena perra. Después de ser rescatada, crece inexplicabmente atraída hacia Lucas. Tener un perro no es fácil, y después de enseñarle a esconderse y no ladrar, aún así es descubierta en los apartamentos donde no le está permitido vivir. Apenas escapando Control Animal y casi puesta a dormir por ser de de una raza prohibida pit bull en Denver, y después de otros incidentes también, Bella termina perdida. Encontrándose separada de su amado Lucas, a casi cuatrocientas millas lejos, Bella empieza un viaje fantástico, a través de ciudad y tierra salvaje, para alcanzarlo. Haciéndose de amigos en el camino, humanos y no, Bella está determinada a encontrar su camino de vuelta hacia Lucas, sin importar qué.
  
  Una lectura bastante disfrutable. Disfruté especialmente la amistad de Bella y Gran Gatito. Por alguna razón tenía esto en audio y las voces realmente no funcionaron conmigo, así que si se encuentran queriendo leer esto sugeriría texto. Eso sin embargo no significa que lo recomendaría, amé los libros de la serie Purpose pero no amé éste. Es algo diferente, tenés el punto de vista del perro como los otros pero no las multiples vidas y Bailey no está ahí. Bella es una perrita maravillosa, es fantástica, pero no creció en mí como lo hizo Bailey. Igual, una lectura valiosa para el amante del animal. amorosa y emotiva de a ratos.
  
  *** La película es una adaptación decente del libro. Algunas cosas fueron omitidas, como es de esperarse, pero aún así todos los ingredientes principales estaban ahí. Los efectos especiales estuvieron bien, la actuación no tanto, algo floja. Bella y Gran Gatito fueron la mejor parte, ovbiamente.
  
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  NOTA PERSONAL: [2017] [336p] [Novela de Perro] [Hermosa] [Casi Recomendable] [Viaje épico] [Amistad interespecie]
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• 
  W. Cameron

  I marked this book as "read" because I did, after all, read it while I was writing it.
  
  Of all the challenges I've set for myself as an author, writing from a dog's point of view is probably the most difficult. I am often criticized for using simple, plain descriptions, as if a dog would write something like "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." (That's from William Shakespeare. He's more famous than I am.)
  
  So okay, A Dog's Way Home is written from the simple, innocent, joyous and honest viewpoint of a dog. The dog's name is Bella--this is told from the perspective of a female dog, which if not unique is certainly a rarity. At any rate, due to BDL (Breed Discriminatory Legislation) Bella is labeled a pit bull and forced to leave Denver, CO.
  
  Notice I said "labeled." That's how the statue is written--if three ACOs (Animal Control Officers) say "yep, that's a pit," then by the law it's a pit bull. In theory they could say this about a poodle, and that's that. The animals get chipped and if they're ever picked up again, the dogs are euthanized.
  
  That's why the dog on the cover of the book is only part pit bull.
  
  Bella is taken hundreds of miles away and doesn't understand why. She needs to be with her person. When the opportunity presents itself, she escapes and starts heading home, a multi-year journey through the Rocky Mountain wilderness.
  
  It's an adventure story, but because we're living in the mind of this special dog, it's told with love and even spirituality. As is true of the A Dog's Purpose series, this is a novel that was written for adults but contains nothing that I would be hesitant to let a middle schooler read.
  
  Some who have read it have called it my best book yet.
  
  
• 
  CJ Anderson

  I could not put the book down till I was done reading it, from the first words.
  Good dog, Bella!
  
  I was asked by the publisher, to review this book, because of my non-profit's mission in Arizona to help people in crisis through their pets. As it turns out, Veterans is a large part of the population we serve, as well as homeless and other hard to reach/help populations. We also work to educate and advocate people in Arizona as to how much difference they make when they use their voices with our government officials.
  
  You see, people will speak for animals and pets, will prepare for disasters, safety, health, and emergencies, when they will NOT bother to do this for themselves nor for other humans!
  
  We are a service provider for the Arizona Veterans Stand down. Gatherings of services, agencies, and people to help these people who gave us and sacrificed SO MUCH for us at the county and city levels ~ TRUE community. We have been told by many of these Groups, that we are a corner stone of this gathering, because Veterans that will not ask for help for themselves, WILL ask for beloved pets/service dogs. Once they come, FEEL the LOVE and CARE that is offered, they then cross the isle for the human help that is frequently,so disparately needed!
  
  Bruce Cameron painted an exact picture, of what is like for many of these Veterans.
  
  NEXT, I am THRILLED to see the dog Bella is a mixed breed dog! THIS is a critical piece of the book. I wont get into a discussion about how petty tyrants get their power rushes from their destruction that is done to helpless animals (and humans). The simple fact is that a dog doesn't go bad because of the BREED. It goes bad because of the interaction with HUMAN!
  This element of this book, is about how dogs (animals) respond to the TANGIBLE (for them) emotions, that roll off of people. In addition to my non-profit, we have a meetup.com list that has over 1450 members, another over 3000 member yahoo email list who work on their energy with dogs email list and has had over 30,000 people on it since 2006) that validates this point.
  
  I was also surprised and gratified, to find a smaller story inside, about feral cats. We are going to move a program that we were planning on implementing in 2020 for rehoming feral cat colonies to warehouses and farms starting next year, because of Cameron's writing, that has moved to action!
  
  Lastly, it said, that Dogs are our Mirrors, our Teachers, our Healers.
  We already use Cameron's book/movie "A Dog Purpose" t to help people dealing with the losses that occur around crisis and disasters of every kind. Now we are very pleased to have this book to help us educate others how they can advocate and change laws. We are already very good at this, moving Arizona from 22nd in State rankings for Humane Treatment for animals, to 7th! This book will help people from an emotional level, to lend their voices to speak for protections for animals. Maybe then, we will learn to also speak louder for the protection of humans, who don't/can't speak for themselves!
  
  Thank you Bruce Cameron for giving us this valuable tool!
  CJ Anderson, President/CEO
  Animal in Disaster, empty Bowl Pet food Pantry
• 
  Supratim

  What a charming little book! My rating 4.5! Mr. Cameron, you have just earned yourself a fan! I admire the way you can look at the world through an innocent dog's eyes!
  
  February has been and continues to be very hectic for me. What I needed was a comfort read, and this one did not disappoint. In fact, it was a delightful read. If I have the time, you can actually finish the book in one sitting.
  
  Let me introduce you to our protagonist, Bella. Good old Bella has a big heart – she always tries to bring joy and comfort to her friends.
  
  Bella was rescued as a puppy by a kind hearted boy, Lucas. Despite his building regulations forbidding pets, Lucas would smuggle Bella in. She would become a great companion to Lucas’s mom, an Army veteran, and bring joy to countless vets in the VA hospital .But, Bella would get the attention of some rotten people and due to Denver state laws which would have put down Bella, Lucas had to give her away.
  
  No point for guessing that you can’t keep Bella away from her “person’ for long. She would embark on the journey home alone through the mountains. They would brave dangers and starvation, but still soldier on. Bella would touch many lives along her journey. She would help and receive help from humans as well as other animals. She would even face danger after returning back. I loved the way the book ended.
  
  I love reading books where dogs play an important character, probably because most of the English story books I had read as a child had dogs. This book reminded me of my favourite sheepdog book –
  Shadow the Sheepdog by Enid Blyton, but that is the story for some other time.
  
  Highly recommended! :) :)
  
  I just learned that the movie was released in January 2019, and the IMDb rating is 6.7. Not bad considering the fact that ~ 7.5K people have rated the movie. I look forward to watching it.
• 
  Dan Lutts

  Bella is a mixed-breed dog who was brought up in a crawl space under a house in Colorado along with her mother, her siblings, and a Mother Cat and her kittens. Unfortunately, the house is marked for demolition by an evil developer who captures Bella’s mother, siblings, and many of the kittens and then kills them. Bella ends up being rescued by Lucas, who brings her home to live with himself and his mother.
  
  An animal control officer identifies Bella as a pitbull and goes on a personal crusade to capture her so he can put her down. Lucus finds a temporary foster home where Bella can stay until he finds an apartment outside the city limits that accepts dogs. But through a series of misadventures Bella ends up journeying 400 miles from home. Along the way, she befriends a baby cougar in the woods and then hooks up with a series of people who become her temporary masters, including a homeless Vietnam vet. Despite liking her temporary masters, Bella wants to go home to Lucas, who is 400 miles away, on the other side of the mountains. The question is: can she succeed?
  
  A Dog’s Way Home is a delightful book written from Bella’s point of view, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve never read any of W. Bruce Cameron’s dog books before but will put some on my To Read list.
  
• 
  Diane

  I would have given an honest 4*, but upping this to 5* because of important points that
  W. Bruce Cameron addresses - a dog's love and devotion to his/her person; the plight of feral cats (ignoring/starving them or just destroying them is not the answer!); the unfairness of breed discrimination (and how it's determined!); the kindness of some humans to animals; and same-sex marriage are what readily come to mind.
  
  The book is written in the very simplistic voice of Bella, our dog on the cover of the book. So don't expect anything deep or heavily written, rather enjoy the narrative, even though you will likely get stressed at some points as you join Bella on her journey. You just have to 'go' with this book. Bella made it into one of my favorite characters ever category!
  
  There are adorable phrases that I will always remember, particularly when interacting with my own dog - such as "tiny piece of cheese" (in our case marshmallow!); 'do go home'; 'do go to work'; 'do your business' and 'provide comfort'.
  
  In addition to Bella, you'll likely fall in love with 'Big Kitten' and the joyous relationships that Bella has from the beginning with the felines.
  
  Thanks to
  W. Bruce Cameron for putting writing a gem of a story with such important messages to boot.
  
  (Joint Read with Jami in Novel Ideas)
• 
  Cheri

  Told from the point of view of a dog named Bella who, in the beginning is still a young puppy. Bella has seemingly been abandoned. She lives under a building destined for demolition, surrounded by cats and kittens, with Mother Cat looking over them all, and a young man, Lucas, who brings water and food, despite the fence designed to prevent anyone entering.
  
  When a developer with plans for building a new, higher-end building in its place begins to start capturing the kittens, Lucas also realizes there are more under the building, and steps up to try and prevent the demolition of the building, at least until the kittens are safely removed. In the process, Lucas realizes that there is also a puppy living there, he brings her to live in the apartment he shares with his mother, an Army veteran, despite the apartment regulations forbidding pets. Lucas begins to train her with simple commands, among them the important Go Home.
  
  When bribes don’t work in convincing Lucas or his mom to stop meddling, the developer pulls strings within Animal Control, and so a dog that looks like a cross between a Great Dane and a Mastiff is labeled a pit bull by Animal Control, without any DNA evidence, and taken to the shelter, as pit bull breeds are illegal in the City and County of Denver. After she manages to be freed, she begins one of many dangerous journeys in her attempt to Go Home.
  
  My favourite parts of this story were Bella’s memories of Mother Cat and a friend she meets along the way, Little Kitten, as well as the Veterans whose stories were shared. While this didn’t require boxes of Kleenex, it was nevertheless a heartwarming story with Cameron’s signature poignant touch.
  
• 
  Nancyandcharlie Miller

  I was randomly selected to receive a copy of this book prior to publication--I don't receive any compensation for posting this review.
  W. Bruce Cameron has done it again! I read this book in one sitting, and laughed and cried. It's told through the eyes of Bella, a pitbull mix that is separated from her owner because of BSL and an overzealous animal control officer. This is her story of the trials and tribulations she endures as she tries to make her way back home to her home, and her human. W. Bruce Cameron weaves a rich tapestry of secondary characters, some nice, and some not-so-nice, that Bella encounters on her epic journey. He definitely earns a "tiny piece of cheese!" A must-read for any dog lover!
• 
  Holly

  I have read every one of W Bruce Cameron's books, so I was excited to be asked to be an early reader/reviewer. I'm happy to say that this book continues the trend of ever-improving stories and writing that I've come to expect from this author. Each dog, from Bailey up to Bella, has captured my heart and makes me want to adopt every stray dog I see! Bella's story in this book also opened my eyes, mind and heart to how preconceptions about breeds can be so damaging to wonderful dogs. I don't think I'll ever look at a pit bull mix in the same way again. Thanks for that!
  
  If you're a WBC fan, you will love this book. If you're new to his works, run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy every one of his previous books. They saved my sanity when I lost my heart dog Patches, and each one has entertained, informed and comforted me. I give all his books my wholehearted endorsement!
• 
  Karina

  I want a Bella of my own. Such a wonderful, amazing personality and dog. I loved reading about her love and empathy towards mankind and cats. Bella was so smart and reminded me of children that just crave warmth, praise and love from the adults in their lives. W. Bruce Cameron created such a beautiful dog that even if you aren't a dog lover you will be after this. He also shows the human flaws and cruelty of these characters he created.
  
  I added the extra star for Bella and the last 125 pages, give or take. The beginning of the story was long and a bit tedious. The story wouldn't get to the point but when it finally did I enjoyed it. I found myself skimming trying to get to the plot. I only finished bc of Bella or else I probably would have quit. I also like how the author included a homeless heroin user that was a War Veteran. I enjoyed that Bella helped the VA's with their fears and depression. She always eased their tensions away. Her journey from Durango, CO to Denver, CO was a 4,000 2yr journey full of hardships. Her friendship with the Bobcat was special and sweet.
  
  Good story for dog lovers. I just felt that it was 100 pages too long. For me, it wasn't a tear jerker but I could definitely see someone else shedding a few tears.
• 
  Yodamom

  What an amazing adventure with this sweet girl, Bella. This is her story, told in her own words.thoughts. Her beginning is amazing enough but her next few years are incredible. Because of where she lives, Denver she must be moved to save her life. Animal control tagged her as a Pitbull, a breed not welcome there. Things don’t go as planned and she runs loose hundreds of miles, meeting all kinds of people, animals and situations.
  Bella started life as a stray, raised by a stray cat under a house where she helped can for the kittens. Rescuer’s come one day and her life changes, she is owned, loved and cares for all. Problems come when a contractor building across the street tries to build on land where feral cats live, including Bella’s mother cat. Her humans are all about animal rescue and the fight begins. Things get nasty, the city, the building owners, it all seems hopeless. Bella finds herself living with some people in a different city waiting for her people, but she gets restless and takes off for home. Her focus, her desperation is amazing. I loved listening to her thoughts, and cheered her all the way. Bella is the dog with a huge heart.
• 
  Jenn Belden

  
  
  If you’ve read author W. Bruce Cameron’s previous dog-centric books (A Dog’s Journey, A Dog’s Purpose), you know that he is a master at both tugging on our heartstrings and telling a wonderful story from the perspective of a dog.
  
  In his newest novel, A Dog’s Way Home once again finds that sweet spot of humor, emotion and drama as Bella’s story unfolds and captures the love, devotion and personality of this sweet dog. You’ve heard stories of dogs traveling hundreds of miles to find their beloved owners – now we get to see it from the unique perspective of the dog herself as she tries to get home to her Lucas and his mother.
  
  He has created a cast of characters (animal and human) that you will love (or despise), and there is the mastery of this author – his ability to make you CARE so much. I found myself looking around the room for my own spunky (and often annoying) ball-obsessed spaniel as Bella found herself in danger again and again. Cameron is, however, gentler on our tear ducts – while this did have me welling up, it wasn’t the full on ugly cry that caught my husband out on his flight from Chicago to Newark. I deem it flight safe for the self-consciously weepy reader.
  
  A Dog’s Way Home serves well to shed a light on the unintended consequences and tragedies of Breed Discriminatory Legislation. Bella is (inaccurately) labelled as a pit by shady and petty animal control officers, and even after other staff members note that she is a mix, sweet and gentle, nothing can be done to reverse the labelling. I think it also reinforces the importance of adoptions via animal rescue!
  The story also shows in a heartbreakingly tender way the ability of dogs to calm and soothe as Bella interacts with veterans at the VA hospital. It’s amazing what dogs can sense, and the book brings this to life from the perspective of a dog and the importance and need for service dogs for veterans.
  
  *I received an e-ARC from the author for review purposes. I had already pre-ordered the book from Amazon.*
• 
  Kathy Filardo

  I adored this book. It had everything I look for in a great animal story. A lovable dog, people who were both good and bad, and a great story about the love of a dog for her human and even other species, like cats. If you are a dog or a cat lover you need to read this book. Because though the book's protagonist is a dog named Bella, cats play a large role in the story also--from Mother Cat, a feral queen who lovingly adopts and cares for Bella as a puppy to Big Kitten, the orphaned cougar kitten Bella in turn adopts and protects. Love plays an enormous role in this book--and there are some beautiful scenes here that make you tear up.
  
  I also was glad to see this story raise awareness about feral cats and how they are treated, both humanely and inhumanely, about the love between species of animals, and the awareness of our veterans, whom Bella helps as a therapy dog. I found this particularly fitting as I read this book on Memorial Day and am a family member with veterans.
  
  Bella's journey to go home to the person who loves her was filled with inspiration, hope, resilience and love. It's a book that will resonate with you long after you've turned the last page.
• 
  Jean

  Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  
  The story is sweet and pulls at one's heartstrings but I think you need to be a dog lover to really enjoy this book. Just like the author's other books (loved
  A Dog's Purpose), the story is told from a dog's perspective. Which makes the writing style childlike. Short, simple sentences. Another issue I had with this book were the humans in the story. I did not like any of the characters in it and I especially found Lucas annoying.
  
  I found the book entertaining but I did not enjoy this book as much as the other 2 that I had read. Maybe the writing style is getting redundant to me.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a copy of W. Bruce Cameron's "A Dog's Way Home" in exchange of an honest review.
• 
  Jami

  This was a fun, easy read. While it did not have the same emotional depth for me as A Dog's Purpose, I loved Bella and the characters she met during her journey to and from home. There were some laugh out loud parts, such as when Bella describes a person talking to "her" but the person has a phone pressed against their face. I also loved her references to when she was either a good dog or a bad dog. And of course, "Tiny Piece of Cheese" was awesome.
  
  Bella loves Lucas, her human, above all. Even though she meets, loves and comforts other humans and animals, she knows she must do "go home" to return to him because of course, every dog has their one special human.
  
  The book touches on breed discrimination laws and emotional support animals, both very important issues. Any book that gets people to talk and think about these issues is doing a good thing in my opinion.
• 
  Tina Forde

  I was randomly chosen by the publisher to read a advanced copy of this book and loved every minute of it. Mr. W. Bruce Cameron I think this could be your best book yet.
  I was introduced to your books while facing saying goodbye to my companion dog of 14 years. I was given your A Dog's Purpose and it helped me get through the rough final days. I've since read A Dog's Journey, The Dogs of Christmas, and Emory's Gift. Plus I have The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man , and The Dog Master sitting here to read.
  All that being said I think this one really touched home with me. I am a female Veteran of the USAF who has PTSD from MST. Since my dog crossed the rainbow bridge my triggers, nightmares and just fear of being out in public alone has gotten progressively worse almost back to right after incident. The red tape and struggles to try to get a PTSD dog is rough. I am hoping this book makes it easier for people like myself to be able to get our animals certified.
  The way you handled bringing this issue as well as BDL (breed discrimination laws) into the readers hearts hopefully makes more people aware of the issues and react in a lawful way to change both issues.
  From the feral cats, to stray dogs, from mama cat to big kitten, from Dutch to all the humans good and bad this book kept me reading. To be honest I couldn't put it down, I read the whole book in one afternoon.
  Thank you W. Bruce Cameron for your amazing books
• 
  Diana

  I want to go into so much detail because this book is just great! I should start with the fact that I was randomly selected to read the book and give it my honest review. First, you just fall in love with the main character! He goes above and beyond to save strays and in my opinion how any person treats animals is a true testiment of their character, this man has got it in spades. His mother also is a deeply built, understandable and relatable character (at least relatable to me but even if not for you, she's someone you know exists in this world). Bella, awww sweet Bella, she's a loving, sweet, gentle soul who doesn't understand that bad exists. At times, I was so amazingly frustrated and helpless with the other characters, who (while human) you just want to act like they have a heart!!! BSL still is out there though and people, like the ones in this book, are doing everything they can to eradicate pit bulls and pit bull look alike from this Earth, regardless of their temperament. Seeing others stand up to protect Bella, is a huge highlight and absolutely heartwarming! The feats she goes through, the people she meets, the animals she meets all make this a beautiful story with so much heart. I loved it from beginning to end and will definitely be hugging my gorgeous pit rescue a little tighter today!