Rethinking Rescue: Dog Lady and the Story of Americas Forgotten People and Pets

Mithers (coauthor of Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War) delves into the challenges of poverty and being unhoused as she questions who truly deserves the love of a pet. Narrator Christina Delaine varies her tone with compassion and empathy throughout the presentation and reading. Centered on Lori Weise, known in Los Angeles’s underserved communities as the Dog Lady, the audiobook chronicles her long commitment to people in poverty and the animals they share. Mithers emphasizes the critical link between human and animal suffering, thereby presenting Weise’s innovative approach as a model for a compassionate narrative for rescue. The author also sheds light on biases within the animal-welfare movement, which frequently prioritizes placing pets in higher-income homes while neglecting low-income pet owners. Weise’s efforts to challenge this status quo demonstrate that support for marginalized pet owners can significantly reduce shelter intake rates. Mithers’s exploration of Weise’s work reveals the broader implications of social justice, highlighting how systemic inequality impacts both people and their pets.