All Dogs Go to Kevin: Everything Three Dogs Taught Me (That I Didn't Learn in Veterinary School)

by Jessica Vogelsang Narrated by Jessica Vogelsang

Overview

All Dogs Go to Kevin is a humorous and touching memoir that will appeal to anyone who has ever loved an animal or lost hours in James Herriot's classic veterinary stories.

You can't always count on people, but you can always count on your dog. No one knows that better than veterinarian Jessica Vogelsang.

With the help of three dogs, Jessica is buoyed through adolescence, veterinary school, and the early years of motherhood. Taffy, the fearsome Lhasa; Emmett, the devil-may-care Golden; and Kekoa, the neurotic senior Labrador, are always by her side, educating her in empathy and understanding for all the oddballs and misfits who come through the vet clinic doors. Also beside her is Kevin, a human friend who lives with the joie de vivre most people only dream of having.

From the clueless canine who inadvertently reveals a boyfriend's wandering ways to the companion who sees through a new mother's smiling facade, Jessica's stories from the clinic and life show how her love for canines lifts her up and grounds her, too.

Above all, this book reminds us, with gentle humor and honesty, why we put up with the pee on the carpet, the chewed-up shoes, and the late-night trips to the vet: because the animals we love so much can, in fact, change our lives.

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile

For dog lovers, this audio is a treat! A memoir can be a perfect fit for an author-narrator because when it works—and it works here—the intimacy of the listening experience is enhanced. In this heartfelt debut, Dr. Jessica Vogelsang recounts the trajectory of her life through the lens of the three dogs who guided her along the way—though the titular character, Kevin, isn't one of them. Taffy, Emmett, and Kekoa provide comfort and wisdom as each plays a pivotal role in Vogelsang's life. Her high-pitched voice and precise enunciation smacks of unfailing sincerity, and during moments of heartbreak, while her voice doesn't crack, it drops low and recedes, forcing listeners to lean in and offer a sympathetic ear. A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

05/11/2015
Vogelsang’s life has been defined by her canine companions. There’s Taffy, her childhood Lhasa Apso; Emmett, the friendly Golden Retriever she rescues from a premature death; and Kekoa, an empathetic, albeit somewhat neurotic, senior Labrador Retriever. With such a love of dogs (and animals in general), Vogelsang becomes a veterinarian—and, in doing so, adds daily interactions with many more dogs to her life. In a manner reminiscent of author/veterinarian James Herriot, Vogelsang shares stories of her canine patients and their human families with kindness and compassion. “Going to Kevin,” originally a euphemism used by Vogelsang and her colleagues when a dog dies, takes on new meaning after the death of a real-life Kevin, a dear friend of the author’s family. Vogelsang’s experiences as a veterinarian, dog owner, mother, wife, and friend will resonate with readers, encouraging them to join her on a journey caring for others’ pets—and to appreciate the unconditional love dogs shower on their human companions. Agent: Steve Troha, Folio Literary Management. (July)

From the Publisher

"With humor, grace and a wonderfully deft way with words, she escorts us through the trials of vet school and the ups, downs and surprises of a small-animal practice in San Diego...The tales from the front are engrossing, often amusing, and always well told, but no more so than her stories when there are no scalpels or stethoscopes around...So descriptive and wonderfully unaffected is Vogelsang's writing style, one imagines even her case notes would be interesting reads. If it weren't pretty obvious that she's an excellent vet, we'd probably all be suggesting she quit her day job and turn to writing full-time. 3.5 out of 4 stars!"—USA Today

"It's really quite trite to say "I laughed, I cried" at this book. I know it is, but I can't help it: that about sums up what I found in All Dogs Go to Kevin. . . .This is also a book about family, friendship, untimely loss, and making dreams come fearlessly true. It contains those behind-the-scenes tales and unique client stories you expect in a book by a veterinarian. We learn an important lesson about new motherhood that's "delivered... by a Golden Retriever." And yes, if you've ever loved and lost a pet (particularly, a dog), this book will make you laugh, and you'll cry. At the very least, for sure, "All Dogs Go to Kevin" will make you SIT for awhile."—Myrtle Beach Sun News

"In a humorous yet poignant style, Vogelsang chronicles the ups and downs of life and how three beloved dogs stood steadfastly by her through childhood anxiety, postpartum depression and plenty of life changes, with encouragement and unconditional love."—Mother Nature Network

"Intelligent, hysterical and heartrending."—Florida Times-Union

"This lovely, warmhearted collection of stories in the vein of James Herriot's classic veterinary tales will make you smile, laugh, and want to hug your dog. . . . Instantly endearing and recognizable to those who deeply love dogs. . . . (a) delightful read."—Modern Dog

"In a manner reminiscent of author/veterinarian James Herriot, Vogelsang shares stories of her canine patients and their human families with kindness and compassion...Vogelsang's experiences as a veterinarian, dog owner, mother, wife, and friend will resonate with readers, encouraging them to join her on a journey caring for others' pets-and to appreciate the unconditional love dogs shower on their human companions."—Publishers Weekly

"Veterinarian Vogelsang pays tribute to the dogs that have played important roles in her life and professional practice . . . She writes movingly . . . A feel-good, bittersweet memoir."—Kirkus Reviews

"ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN is a delightful, funny and heartwarming tale (tail?) of the many dogs that have come through author Jessica Vogelsang's life. It also has the added bonus that Vogelsang is a vet- so she knows stuff! I laughed and recognized myself and thought of the many, many dog people I will gift this book to. ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN is a real treat (and not the slimy kind that your dog brings into your bed)."—Julie Klam, New York Times-bestselling author of You Had Me at Woof

"Dogs have a lot to teach us and a lot to tell us a lot about ourselves. Told with subtle, self-effacing humor, ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN is one woman's journey of personal growth, as reflected in her personal and professional relationships with people and dogs, to an enriching understanding of the importance of love and nurture in our lives."—Larry Levin, New York Times-bestelling author of Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

"Jessica Vogelsang is a warm and widely respected veterinarian, and in her funny and often poignant first book, her gifts are on full display. ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN is a love letter to the canine species written by a true friend to animals."—Dr. Marty Becker, author of Your Dog: The Owner's Manual

"Vogelsang is a wonderfully sweet storytelling."—The Morning Call

DECEMBER 2015 - AudioFile

For dog lovers, this audio is a treat! A memoir can be a perfect fit for an author-narrator because when it works—and it works here—the intimacy of the listening experience is enhanced. In this heartfelt debut, Dr. Jessica Vogelsang recounts the trajectory of her life through the lens of the three dogs who guided her along the way—though the titular character, Kevin, isn't one of them. Taffy, Emmett, and Kekoa provide comfort and wisdom as each plays a pivotal role in Vogelsang's life. Her high-pitched voice and precise enunciation smacks of unfailing sincerity, and during moments of heartbreak, while her voice doesn't crack, it drops low and recedes, forcing listeners to lean in and offer a sympathetic ear. A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2015-04-01
Veterinarian Vogelsang pays tribute to the dogs that have played important roles in her life and professional practice. The author punctuates the narrative with deaths, beginning with the untimely passing of her husband's best friend, Kevin. She writes movingly of how she tried but failed to comfort him and how their dog, Kekoa, succeeded. As a child, her family's dog, Taffy, offered her the companionship otherwise lacking in her life. Vogelsang explains that she was an introverted child with few friends who endured bullying. With high grades, her plan was to become a doctor; however, marriage to Brian, her college sweetheart, reinforced her decision to pursue a less stressful career as a veterinarian. Taffy's death occurred in the first years of their marriage. She made the fortunate choice of taking a job with CareClinic, a highly structured corporation with clinics across the country. This situation, she explains, suited her perfectly. One of her patients was Emmett, a 2-year-old dog with an allergy to fleas, whose owner wanted him euthanized rather than pay ongoing veterinarian expenses. She cajoled her husband into allowing her to adopt Emmett into their family, which now included a daughter and son. When her son was 2 and his sister 6, Emmett developed an untreatable cancer. His death left a painful gap in all their lives, and the parents had to explain it. Although they were not a religious family, they told the children about Emmett's ascent to heaven. The title of the memoir is based on her son's confusion of heaven with the name of their family friend Kevin, who at that time was alive and well. "The pain of loss," writes the author, "is the price we have to pay for all the wonder we accumulate building up to it." A feel-good, bittersweet memoir with few surprises.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173423894
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	07/14/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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