No Buddy Left Behind

Bringing US Troops’ Dogs and Cats Safely Home from the Combat Zone

By: Terri Crisp, Cynthia Hurn - contributor

Narrated by: Nicole Vilencia

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

The love of a dog or cat helps heal soldiers’ emotional trauma. One very special woman and program reunites them after the war.

“I have sacrificed a lot to serve my country. All that I ask is to be allowed to bring home the incredible dog that wandered into my life here in Iraq and prevented me from becoming terribly calloused towards life.”—a soldier requesting help from Operation Baghdad Pups

No Buddy Left Behind is an animal book with a difference. It is not only about rescued dogs and cats but also about US soldiers trying to survive the horrors of war and readjust to life back home. It unveils the life-altering relationships American troops serving in the Middle East share with the stray dogs and cats they rescue from the brutalities of war. Overcoming monumental obstacles, Terri Crisp makes it her mission to save these wartime “buddies,” get them out of danger, and bring them home to the soldiers who love them.

So, how does someone get animals out of a country at war when normal resources are lacking and every step of a plan to transport animals could get you arrested, kidnapped, or blown apart? As Crisp soon learns, each rescue mission from first to last is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience, and no animal is truly safe until its paws touch American soil. Terri and her team have saved the lives of 282 dogs and 58 cats befriended by military personnel since February 2008—and No Buddy Left Behind finally tells this story.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 by Terri Crisp (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Excellent book, painful narrator!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator needs to go, I almost gave up on this book, but only the book itself saved it and kept me going. Seriously, I kept glancing up and going to audible to look at the "Return" link, thinking, Holy cow! I'm actually going to return a book?!?
This could be a four-star book, but I kept finding myself "re-reading" in my head, knowing certain lines and scenes could've been delivered with much greater emotion and pathos.

What did you like best about this story?

Considering how brutal the war can be, on soldiers, civilian populations, on every living creature, it was really, really nice to hear people come together with pride and with a genuine willingness to help the soldiers out. I also liked that this book stayed away from the political, and was firmly anchored in emotion and action.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Nicole Vilencia?

ANYONE! OH GOD, ANYONE!!!! She delivers everything in a sing-song voice, as though she's reading to little kids. Her inflections disrupt the rhythm of the prose. And when she gets to serious subject matter, her tone is the same: It's jaunty and jocular; it's peppy and horribly, horribly inappropriate!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, as the story is heartfelt, suspenseful, and just damned good.

Any additional comments?

One warning: PTSD is a very serious condition that affects animals just as much as it affects people. By the end of the book, you might feel really, really sad. How much hope is there? And how can we help?

Enjoyed this book so much I wanted more!

If you could sum up No Buddy Left Behind in three words, what would they be?

Dogs are amazing!

What did you like best about this story?

The info I learned about MWDs and the truth that the guys love their dogs.

What about Nicole Vilencia’s performance did you like?

She was able to capture the personality of each soldier she spoke for .

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

No Buddy Left Behind!

Heart warming

I'm so impressed by the determination on both the soldiers and Terri to save these animals' lives. Our soldiers are so worth it!!!!

A very Hart warming story and true

What did you love best about No Buddy Left Behind?

I love best how much everyone was willing to help no matter what dangers there was.

What other book might you compare No Buddy Left Behind to and why?

I don't know of any other book that compares.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My feelings when reading this book made be happy and at time cry. I am a mail so that was not easy for me. However I to was in the US Army so I felt what many of the solders felt.

Any additional comments?

At first I did not like it that a woman was telling the story. However after a short time that did not matter any more as I was drawn into the story. Also it was a story about a woman and how much she cared for the people and animals. Also the fact that nobody was going to be left behind. She made sure of that! I loved the story!

no buddy left behind

awesome book! love what SPCA INTERNATIONAL did for these animals and servicemen and women. it is only right that these animals had a chance to live out their lives by being loved. RIP to all those animals that never made it out