Rescue Ink

It was a fast read and I read a good chunk of it on my commute to/from work, and another chunk on the elliptical at the gym. I finished the last few chapters over dinner. Obviously, I liked the book enough to not want to put it down. And once I finished it, I went to pick up my cat and snuggle with him because I needed to show him I loved him.

The stories in this book alternately broke my heart and gave me hope. I loved that the Rescue Ink guys are showing the world that animal lovers come in show more all shapes and sizes, and aren't all crazy cat ladies. I applaud their devotion and willingness to speak out, and their going above and beyond for animals. I was really impressed with the thoughtfulness they approached animal rescue, recognizing the reality of the world and that not every animal can be rescued, but the importance was improving the lives of the animals they can reach. show less

Rescue Ink breaks some of the stereotypes about those involved in animal rescue and about tough, tattooed bikers. I think that this contradiction of expected behavior is the best thing about the book.

The perception is that women are the tenderhearted ones who rescue animals – everyone knows that. And for the most part, that is true. Apparently, someone forgot to mention it to this group of mostly big, heavily inked bikers. And they are not above using the intimidation factor to get what show more they want when it comes to rescuing an abused or neglected animal.

I applaud the mission and dedication of these guys. The stories are interesting, sad, sometimes with joyful endings. It hurts to even read some of them. Still, they are not stories much different that other rescuers and people who read about them have seen or read too many times. The strength in this book, and in this group of unlikely rescuers, is the message it sends. Big, strong guys can be compassionate. Abusing and neglecting animals makes a person weaker, takes away from his humanity rather than adding to it, and owning a big, tough dog does not make anyone a tough person. Rescue Ink, both the book and the group, is getting that message out to anyone who will listen. As all of us readers have learned, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, whether literally or when seeing a biker holding a newborn kitten.

Animal rescue in any form is a hard job, and these guys are as good at it as the proverbial little old lady in sneakers, sometimes better. One quote about rescuers that hit home for me:

"More than the anger and frustration at seeing animals discarded like fast-food wrappers, more than the sadness at seeing dogs that are starved or ripped up in dogfighting 'practice,' the most dangerous side effect is weariness."

The book is not great literature and doesn't pretend to be, but is a worthwhile and touching read for anyone who loves animals. The pictures make it all the more real. There is apparently a series about the group on National Geographic Channel, but I haven't seen it. show less

I found this to be an incredibly inspiring book. Rescue Ink is a volunteer organization whose members are primarily united by tattoos, checkered pasts, and a love of animals. Rescue Ink investigates cases of animal cruelty (often the ones that others are too intimidated to take on) and does whatever it can to stop the abuse, including constructing free doghouses, extracting a trapped duck from a canal, and adopting unwanted dogs. Each chapter is based on a different member, and often they show more have shocking histories: one was ambushed and shot in the chest, one is a hard-bitten street detective, and one is a heavily tattooed Buddhist who makes his own soap. All of them are fascinating characters. Many of them deplore the fact that men who champion animal rights have a mysterious stigma attached to them; one says that "men are largely absent from animal rescue." However, when a member of Rescue Ink hoists a kitten on his tattooed muscular arm, no one's going to make a peep. And that is their greatest strength. show less

What do you get when a group of 10 muscled and tattooed bikers set their mind to rescuing abused animals? Results! This is the story of Rescue Ink, a group of tough guys who decided that rescuing animals is cool. Their rough backgrounds and street creed give them a unique approach to rescue. Rescue Ink is unafraid to take on the biggest bullies and they jump at the chance to confront the worst abusers. What surprised and impressed me is that they are careful to stay within the bounds of the show more law and work well with local law enforcement and animal control groups. They often try to help negligent owners by building better doghouses, transporting animals to veterinary care, or helping with food costs. In the world of animal rescue, the negligent owner is automatically assumed to be evil, these guys work hard to educate and help the people as well as the animals. There are the expected heartstring tugging stories – the badly abused pit bull that became the clubhouse dog, the poodle stolen when its owner was sent overseas in the armed forces recovered, and the standard cat stuck in a tree.
Listening to this audio was a pleasant way to pass a few hours. Rescue Ink will renew your faith in humans a little. show less