Yes, I love Sherlock Holmes…and dogs! A large percentage of my day, every single day, has gone to the dogs—for most of my life. And now, my upcoming book, DOGGONE BONES, is about a topic close to my heart. Animal rescue.
In Sarah Booth’s latest adventure, she and her partner, Tinkie, decide to help a woman in a nearby town whose dog has been stolen. The case should be a simple one. But of course, it isn’t, and before you know it Sarah Booth and Tinkie are involved with wrestlers, potential dog fighters, and corrupt officials.
As most readers will remember, both Sarah Booth and Tinkie are huge animal lovers. Sarah Booth has taken on dogs, a cat, horses, and a raven. While I am not Sarah Booth (but would like to be!) I am also an animal rescuer. I founded Good Fortune Farm Refuge, a 501c3 charity that is housed on my small Alabama farm, some 30 ears ago. To date I have 7 dogs, 12, cats and 2 horses living with me. I do all the animal care myself, but I do have friends and board members of the rescue who help me with so much more: fund raising, transport to vets, talking with folks we’re trying to help, etc. We have a teensy budget, but we spend every penny donated on the animals. We try to help as many people as we can with spay/neuter, vaccinations, and if we have a little money in the bank, which isn’t often, with vet emergencies. Veterinarians are now pricing themselves out of reach of so many people. It’s disheartening. Yet we still struggle to do what we can.
I just gave away a foster dog I took from the county shelter. Dolly was so shut down that she refused to even walk. The shelters and rescues all over the world are overwhelmed with unwanted dogs and cats and Dolly was on the euthanasia list because there was no one who could take the time to work with her. I took her and with a lot of work and patience, she began to come around. And I found the perfect home for her. Her new owner—her permanent owner—is so devoted to her and so kind and gentle that she is making even more progress. Now I have another rescue—the polar opposite personality—Gloria, now renamed Cruella because she has white eye lashes on one eye and black on the other is bursting with joy! She is outgoing and wild. But I’m working to teach her some manners so she, too, can find the perfect home. The rest of the cats, dogs, and horses will end their lives here. They are older and not well.
This weekend we had the fence adventure with Cruella. She’s very athletic and has been climbing and jumping the back yard fence to follow me to the barn. She wants to play with the horses, who are only too willing to commit mayhem! But Saturday, I got a brand-new solar hotwire device and I had time to run the wire around the top of the fence. Yesterday, she tried it twice, got zinged, and then went to the porch to lie down. If I can break this habit, she will have a much safer life wherever she finds her permanent home. Of course, I hit the hot wire a couple of times myself and I assure it, I no longer have ANY DESIRE to climb that fence!
Yes, this animal rescue lifestyle is a crazy way to live. There are cats and dogs everywhere in the house. Once one of the horses even got inside! She didn’t want to stay, thank goodness. She has a big pasture where she lives with her sister. Animals, like humans, develop strong bonds of love and friendship and it has been my big pleasure to see that these equine families stay together when I can make it happen.
I started rescuing animals when I was about ten. My parents indulged me as much as they could afford to. And I have continued to do this work for over 60 years. It is too often heartbreaking. My FB feed is overrun with animals that need a home, or are lost, or found. Sharing on FB has helped place a lot of terrific dogs who otherwise would have been overlooked. And yes, I know it drives people crazy because these are lovely dogs and cats (sometimes birds and horses) and we all want to save them!
Heartbreaking and heartwarming. Two things can be true at once.
I haven’t changed the world, but I have changed the world for some animals.
Thanks for sharing some time with me. If you love animals, I hope you’ll give DOGGONE BONES a try.
Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery #29
The next novel in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.
After a dog belonging to local pet activist Tilly Lawson is snatched right out of her backyard in Sunflower County, MS, Sarah Booth and the Delaney Detective Agency are up to their ears in concerned pet owners. Could Tilly's work liberating abused animals have come back to bite her, or was this a random act of dognapping?
Delaney Detective Agency has their work cut out for them, especially as a troublesome online pet detective agency tries nosing their way into the investigation. But as Sarah Booth and Tinkie start to sink their teeth into the mystery, they discover there's much more at play than they thought: neighborhood rivalries, questionable dog breeders, and an illegal dogfighting operation.
As their digging churns up dangerous attention—and with their own beloved dogs, Sweetie Pie and Chablis, possibly next in line to be dognapped—Sarah Booth and Tinkie are in a race against time to track down the thieves and return the missing pets home.
Mystery Private Eye | Women's Fiction Southern [Minotaur Books, On Sale: May 27, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9781250377654 / eISBN: 9781250377661]
Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 80 published books, including the long-running Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. DOGGONE BONES is the newest in the series. Haines is also the founder of Good Fortune Farm Refuge, a "retirement home" for (currently) 7 dogs, 12 cats, and 2 horses. A lifelong animal rescuer, she loves caring for the animals and writing books. You can learn more about her and subscribe to her newsletter on her website.
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