Diary of a Dogcatcher: A Memoir

2025 GILDA FINALIST

No one has ever said they wanted to be a dogcatcher when they grew up. But I knew.

I didn’t know the word, but I caught my first dog when I was six years old. Before I could even whistle “here boy,” I fell in love with every animal I saw, wild or gentle, large or small, in real life or on television. I couldn’t even tie my own shoes yet, but I knew that someone needed to help animals in trouble. On the day my shoes were finally tied, and for the rest of my life, I’ve known that someone was me.

Along the way, I met thousands of animals and learned their stories in my work as a horse trainer, volunteer, and then a professional in the animal welfare world. It took nearly three decades before I understood that one day, I would need the animals to save me. On that day, I took what was left of my courage and showed myself the door. That was 12 years ago. But I kept their stories. Every animal had one, and every animal’s story needed to be told. These are just a few.

The animals I met inspired me, filled my heart then broke it, made me laugh, made me cry, and helped build bridges with friends who will never fall, no matter how many years pass. In these stories you’ll recognize your own dogs and cats, horses, a tiger or two, and maybe even a fish. You’ll read, sit back and remember your own childhood, your first dog, maybe your first great loss. Then you’ll think of that friend you haven’t called in a while, someone with a shared connection with animals and you’ll call them, rediscovering the magic found while in the presence of animals and the people who love them.

These are the stories of a dogcatcher, but they are also your stories.