Paws to Protect: Dogs Saving Lives and Restoring Hope

In her previous books, journalist and author Sakson has studied specific dog breeds and therapy dogs (Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs); here she focuses on dogs working in military, law enforcement and search and rescue. Sakson examines the evolving role of canine soldiers from WWI to Iraq, from morale builders to rocket detectors and explosive sniffers. She also finds dogs protecting agriculture from imported pests and even specializing in accelerant identification for arson units. Repeatedly emphasizing her subjects' usefulness and loyalty, Sakson's anecdotes can get redundant, and leave readers curious about details like training tactics and breeding practices. This should find an audience at the nexus of dog lovers and military history buffs, though they may be left wanting.