RUFF RIDERS: RESCUE UR FUREVER FRIEND

Author: Karen Ruben

Summary:

Eleven-year-old Olivia Thomas longs for a dog of her own, but her reluctant parents don't think that she is responsible enough. When she hears about an abandoned dog with a litter of puppies in the forest, she and her friend April, along with their new tech-savvy friend, Quinn, leap into action.

Teaming up with local volunteer animal rescue Rescue Ur Furever Friend, they work on a plan. Olivia is determined to see the project through, but she'll have to focus and rally lots of people to help. And they may not succeed. Is she prepared to fail? And if she's successful, will her parents see that she is ready to take care of a puppy? Through teamwork, family, and community, Olivia learns that anything important is worth the effort.

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The Importance of Rescuing

The bond I formed with my own rescue dog, Ruby, inspired me to write RUFF Riders and share the incredible journey she took from being born to an uncertain future, to her furever home, with my family. Through this book, I hope to raise awareness for the urgent need for fostering, adopting a rescue and community support in the world of animal rescue.

The heartwarming tale of RUFF Riders is inspired by Ruby, my beloved dog, whose true rescue story touched her deeply. Ruby was born in a shed hidden within the woods of Angier, North Carolina, and was subsequently adopted through Rescue Ur Furever Friend, an animal rescue organization. Throughout the adoption process, I encountered startling facts about the plight of shelter animals, leading her to embark on a mission to raise awareness and rally support for the desperate need for responsible adoptions, donations, and most importantly, fostering of rescued puppies and dogs. 

Statistics reveal the urgent nature of this cause: every year, six million dogs and cats enter animal shelters or rescues, with at least one million euthanized due to insufficient funding and space in under-resourced shelters. I believe that educating the public about the distinction between animal shelters and rescues, as well as inspiring individuals to volunteer as foster caretakers, can significantly transform the lives of these innocent animals. Fostering not only provides temporary homes but also offers families the opportunity to assess their readiness for permanent pet ownership.

RUFF Riders delivers a powerful message, encouraging readers to FOSTER, ADOPT A RESCUE, AND/OR DONATE to their local animal rescues. The novel follows eleven-year-old Olivia Thomas, who dreams of having a dog but faces hesitant parents who question her level of responsibility. When she learns about an abandoned dog and her puppies delivered in a nearby forest, Olivia, along with her friend April and tech-savvy companion, Quinn, initiates a rescue operation that ultimately involves the press and her community. Teaming up with Rescue Ur Furever Friend, a local volunteer animal rescue group, they embark on a challenging journey that requires unwavering determination and community support. 

Accompanied by a menu of community service options that appear as plot points in the story, and detailed on my website, book club questions printed at the back of the book are designed to get families to think about what strengths they can use to engage in meaningful activities related to animal rescue. I aim to inspire multi-generation book clubs for parents, grandparents and kids 8+. 

Through empathy, teamwork, and responsibility, RUFF Riders encourages readers to recognize that every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the greater cause of saving animal’s lives. A portion of the proceeds from RUFF Riders will be donated to Rescue Ur Forever Friend (NC RUFF) in Garner, North Carolina, a remarkable organization dedicated to rescuing and finding forever homes for countless animals in need.

I invite readers to join me in supporting NC RUFF by visiting their website, www.ncruff.org and exploring avenues of contribution, including fostering, adopting a rescue, and making monetary or in-kind donations.

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WHEN YOU REACH ME

Michael Gibney began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen and assumed his first sous chef position at twenty-two. He ascended to executive sous chef at Tavern on the Green, where he managed an eighty-person staff. He has worked in the kitchens of Morgans Hotel Group, 10 Downing in Manhattan, and Governor in Brooklyn’s DUMBO, among many others. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside cooks and chefs from many of the nation’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Ducasse, Corton, wd~50, and Momofuku. 

In addition to his experience in the food service industry, Gibney also holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.