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Very often, when I listen to the stories people tell about their dog and others’ dogs, I all too often feel they are also talking about themselves and other humans. I have no proof of this possible relationship, so I was especially pleased to learn of Dr. Katharine Mershon’s new book<\/a>, Dogs Save: Stories of Canine Redemption in US Culture<\/em>. <\/p>\n In her highly acclaimed book, Mershon critically examines stories of mutual rescue by analyzing “seemingly heartwarming stories of mutual rescue [that] revolve around redemption through suffering.” Ultimately, she melds religious studies and animal studies and shows that redemption narratives\u2015what she calls “canine redemption narratives”\u2015shape who survives and thrives. Here’s what she told me about her seminal work on human-dog relationships, rethinking rescue<\/a> and who’s rescuing whom<\/a>\u2014what some call mutual rescue. <\/p>\n Marc Bekoff: Why did you write <\/strong>Dogs Save<\/strong><\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n Katharine Mershon: The idea for Dogs Save <\/em>came to me from my experiences working with dogs and the people who love them. For many years, I was a volunteer at a large city shelter, where I spent my time walking dogs and working with them on basic training. One day, I was walking a dog in the yard when I heard an announcement come over the loudspeaker, asking for a shelter employee to come to the front desk for a \u201cdog redemption.\u201d <\/p>\n Redemption is a standard term used in animal shelters, referring to the process where a person comes in to claim their lost dog. Before the dog is returned, the person must provide proof of ownership and pay a fine to cover the animal\u2019s care at the shelter. The religious studies scholar in me was struck by that term \u201credemption\u201d and realized that more was going on there. I started thinking about how that redeemed dog went from facing possible euthanasia to being \u201creborn\u201d into her family, and how that family was made complete by the return of the dog. We save dogs, and dogs save us, as the saying goes. In that moment, I realized that stories about dog rescue in the United States are also stories about religion. And so, my book started with my questions about the role religion plays in relationships between people and dogs, as well as the way that dogs are represented in U.S. culture more broadly.<\/p>\n MB: How does your book relate to your background and general areas of interest?<\/strong><\/p>\n KM: I\u2019m a lifelong animal lover, and my life was forever changed when I adopted a pit bull-type dog named Zoe. I also study representations of religion in U.S. literature, film, TV, and popular media. (Any dog person on social media<\/a> can tell you that their Instagram feeds are saturated with stories about people and dogs saving each other). The tools of religious studies are useful because they provide us a way to understand why these stories are so popular, as well as offer ethical modes of living with and loving dogs.<\/p>\n MB: Who do you hope to reach?<\/strong><\/p>\n KM: This book is for anyone who cares about dogs and wants to better understand the role of religion in stories about dogs in U.S. culture. Of course, I\u2019m also writing to colleagues in religious studies who haven\u2019t considered the central role of dogs in religious meaning-making. Finally, I hope to reach people working in animal rescue and dog training and behavior, and those in the world of veterinary medicine. I\u2019ve learned the most from people who dedicate their lives to working with dogs.<\/p>\n MB: What are some of the topics you consider, and what are some of your major messages?<\/strong><\/p>\n KM: While I can\u2019t tell people on a plane that I study religion without veering into potentially complicated territory, people light up when I say that I write about dogs. Even in a country as divided as the U.S., dogs still have the capacity to bring us together. My book is about how and why that is the case. (Hint: I think the unifying power of dogs has something to do with stories of redemption.)<\/p>\n At the same time, I also worry that these stories are more about people than dogs, leading us to see dogs as extensions of ourselves, or not see them at all. In a similar vein, I hope that people remember that caring about dogs also requires caring about our fellow human beings\u2014that the same structures that enable mass deportation, for instance, connect to the influx of dogs in shelters. Ultimately, I hope people walk away from the book with the newfound recognition that our understanding of dogs is incomplete if we don\u2019t pay attention<\/a> to the religious meanings imposed upon them. By becoming more attuned to the role of religion, I hope we can tell better stories about dogs that allow for their complexity.<\/p>\n MB: How does your work differ from that of others who are concerned with some of the same general topics?<\/strong><\/p>\n KM: There are countless wonderful books about dogs. Mine identifies a central pattern in many of these works, showing how they are stories of redemption, in which people save dogs, and dogs save people. Dogs Save <\/em>helps explain why this narrative is so appealing, and when these stories can be troubling or even dangerous to dogs. The question of who we consider redeemable is one that motivates the book, asking us to think about our responsibilities to humans and animals alike.<\/p>\n Relationships Essential Reads<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n MB: Are you hopeful that, as people learn more about dog-human relationships, they will broaden their horizons about the importance of learning more about this topic from unexpected points of view?<\/strong><\/p>\n KM: People tend to come to Dogs Save<\/em> expecting a feel-good story, and the joy of loving a dog is certainly part of the narrative. But it\u2019s also important that we think about what happens after <\/em>that moment of rescue and recognize that it takes time, care, and effort to form an enduring bond. If we are willing to listen to what our dogs need\u2014even if that means an early morning walk or providing more enrichment to prevent boredom<\/a>\u2014dogs have the capacity to teach us so much. These moments of seeing what our dogs need and honoring it are less grandiose than redemption narratives, but they reveal the pleasures of living with and loving a dog. Stories like those make me hopeful.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n