A Dog's Purpose
| Author | W. Bruce Cameron |
|---|---|
| Published | 2010 |
| Followed by | A Dog's Journey |
A Dog's Purpose is a 2010 novel written by American humorist W. Bruce Cameron, author of 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter and How to Remodel a Man. The book chronicles a dog's journey through several lives via reincarnation and how he looks for his purpose through each of his lives.
The novel stayed a New York Times bestseller for forty-nine weeks, garnering critical praise from such sources as Temple Grandin, famous for her study of cattle behavior; Kirkus Reviews; and Marty Becker, resident veterinarian on the early-morning television show, Good Morning America. A sequel followed in May 2012, titled A Dog's Journey, following the same dog after the events of the previous book. The film rights of the book were bought by DreamWorks. A film of the same name was released in January 2017.
The narrator first starts out as a feral puppy. A few weeks later, after being nursed by their mother, a feral as well, the dog and his siblings Fast, Sister, and Hungry go outside of their den to explore the woods around them. Soon after, men come and capture them. The dogs arrive at a place called the Yard, where dozens of abandoned dogs reside under the guidance of a gentle old woman whom the narrator calls Señora. The narrator, who is soon named Toby by Señora, adjusts to his new lifestyle. Later, the two men appear back with Toby's sister. One day, many of the newer dogs at the Yard are whisked off to a building (a veterinarian office). Toby overhears a conversation between one of the men who works for Señora and the veterinarian regarding the number of dogs who are living at the Yard. The vet is concerned that she may have to alert law enforcement to close the Yard because of concerns over poor living conditions but says that, if the shelter can come up with a solution for the problem, she won't have to call law enforcement. A new dog arrives, named Spike, who is very aggressive towards the other dogs.When Spike attacks Sister, Toby joins in and Spike bites his front leg. Not long after, animal control agents arrive with orders to shut down the place due to poor sanitation and welfare conditions. Many dogs, including Toby, are subsequently euthanized.
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