Fiorello and Wisteria

Update pic of Julie Klam's two beautiful pups!

Fiorello and Wisteria

Fiorello and Wisteria are living life large with Julie Klam!

Update on Wisteria

Julie Klam, Author says:

Miss Wisteria Louise Johnson
Like · lam, Author Do other people give all of their dogs different last names or is it just a weird me thing?

Vinchenzo Can Read

This is Vinchenzo reading Julie Klam's's book "You had me at Woof." Vin loves that one!

Love at First Bark

Congratulations to NEBTR member Julie Klam on the publication of her new book Love at First Bark!

Amazon says, "The bestselling memoirist shows how saving a dog can sometimes help you save yourself.

Julie Klam writes about dogs with a rollicking wit and a radiating warmth-as no other writer can. In her bestselling memoir You Had Me at Woof, she shared the secrets of happiness she learned as an occasionally frazzled but always devoted owner of Boston terriers. Now, with the same enchanting, pop culture-infused amalgam of humor and poignancy that reached the The New York Times and the Today show and won the hearts of readers across the country, she returns with more humorous insight into life with canine companions.

Klam focuses here on dog rescue, and its healing power not only for the dogs who are cared for and able to find good homes, but also for the people who bond with these animals. Klam became involved with rescue after years as an owner of purehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifbred dogs. She was looking for a way to help and participate in a community, but she never imagined just how much she would receive in return. The dogs she has rescued through the years have filled her life with laughter and contentment, sorrow and frustration, and they have made certain that she never has a dull moment. Along the way, she has collected stories from friends who have also found that guiding dogs to nurturing homes made their own lives richer. These experiences, which show us that even in our smallest gestures we can make a big difference, inspired Love at First Bark."

Click on this link to purchase it on Amazon.

NEBTR was represented at the launch party for Julie's book at Word Bookstore in Brooklyn. What a fun night!

Alyson, Carolyn, Julie

Ellen, Julie




Then we had a party with Fiorello and Wisteria Klam at Kamp Kanine. They were so proud of their mom, although they didn't want to stand still for their portraits!

Julie Klam's New Book

You can now preorder Julie Klam's newest book "Love at First Bark on Amazon. Click here to be taken to the Amazon site.

Following is a conversation between Julie Klam, and J. Courtney Sullivan, best-selling author of Maine and Commencement.

Sullivan: One of my favorite parts of Love at First Bark is when you’re searching for an injured stray puppy in New Orleans and ask yourself a series of questions about how far you’d go to save a dog, which culminates with your jumping under a train to get the puppy. To date, is this the farthest you’ve gone?

Klam: It’s the farthest I’ve gone physically. Mentally, I’ve gone much further . . .totally off the deep end . . .on more than one occasion.

Sullivan: How many dogs do you have now? And how do they help or hurt your writing life? I love having my dog curled up under my desk while I’m working, but he always seems to want to go outside and play just as I’m reaching a critical moment in a scene.

Klam: I had four until last week, when we adopted out a foster. I would say, since I’ve written two books on my dog relationships, they help me quite a bit. In fact, Fiorello actually does a fair bit of copyediting. And Beatrice has consulted on all the dog dialogue. She frequently tells me, “A dog would never say that!” Or “No way--too human!”

Sullivan: I’ve only been a dog owner for nine months. One of the things that has surprised me the most is the way that our neighborhood has suddenly opened up to us—we know so many more people, and they all know us. (They may not know our names, but they know Landon’s!) Have you experienced the same thing? What is it about dogs that brings this out in people?

Klam: I wrote in my first book that when I got my dog Otto, I suddenly developed dog vision—I think the same thing happened when I was pregnant When something is suddenly appearing in your life, you relate to it everywhere. The thing about dogs is that, in most cases, they don’t just walk by a dog on the street. They stop and sniff and maybe play. They are far less boundary- obsessed than we are. I think we can stand behind our dogs, saying hello to other dogs, and be just slightly a part of it. I bring the dogs into the dog run, and they run over and join in the games and bark at a Boxer and chase a Lab. I’ve tried to incorporate that into my own life. When I go to parties now, the first thing I do is sniff the host’s butt, and then I’ll just start chasing the guests.

Sullivan: This is your second book about your relationship with dogs. Do you get flooded all the time with dog-related questions from readers and people you know, the way doctors have people asking for medical advice at backyard barbecues? I confess that when it comes to dog stuff, I often ask myself, WWJD: What Would Julie Do? Any particularly interesting requests or questions that you’ve gotten?

Klam: I get loads of questions—mostly about training issues, and I do try to remind people that I have the worst dogs on the planet. I’ve gotten many heartbreaking questions, too, about the timing in ending a dog’s life. It’s a terrible place many pet owners have to go to, and in those cases, I just say you do the best you can and it’s okay.
J. Courtney Sullivan

Sullivan: Earlier this year, there was a big kerfuffle in the news about allowing dogs to sleep in bed with you--a study found that it could lead you to get the plague, among other things. I do it anyway. WWJD?

Klam: The real secret of why I became an author is that I get to occasionally travel to places alone and sleep by myself in a bed. It’s remarkable. There’s no hair or sticks or ticks. If I eat in the bed, I don’t have to share. The floor is dry because no one has decided that morning is too long to wait to go out. . . .What was the question?

Sullivan: In the book, you talk a bit about using Twitter to get the word out about dogs in need. How has online social networking helped change the landscape of rescue work?

Klam: Oh, it’s HUGE! I compared it to the Twilight Bark in 101 Dalmations. I am constantly hearing about dogs in danger all across the country, and I can post about them and have a very caring national audience respond. A woman posted on my Facebook page that her parents had found an abandoned Boston terrier in Texas and no rescues had room for it. Someone else on the page worked with rescue in Texas and was able to help her (in the end, her parents kept the dog . . .which is the best thing ever).

Update on Cal

Caliban is loving life at the home of Joy Riley. Interestingly, Cal is the son of our current foster Kira. He is also the brother of Julie Klam's current foster Buddy and the brother of Julie's former foster Moses, who Julie wrote about in "You Had Me at Woof."

Julie and NEBTR in The Wall Street Journal

One of our Members !! In the Wall Street Journal !THE Author of a GREAT Book !!! With Clementine, who just foud her new Furrever home !!! Great Article !! Thanks so much Julie for all that you do !! You had us at I'll do it !!

Julie is pictured above flanked by Wisteria and Fiorello, and foster Clementine in the center.  Julie just found a great forever home for Clemmie, and received word that Clemmie's housebreaking is coming along great, even though her former owner said she was unable to be housebroken.

You can read the complete article here.

Julie Klam's Diet Plan

Julie Klam's recommendation for hiding holiday pounds: cover your gut with Boston terriers.

You Had Me at Woof

Congratulations to NEBTR member Julie Klam, on the success of her recently published book "You Had Me at Woof." This is a funny and heartfelt recount of Julie’s experiences adopting and fostering Boston Terriers in New York for the NEBTR. In the November 1 issue of People (on-stands now), Julie received a stellar lead review. The review says: “Without being preachy, each chapter is a lesson in what dogs teach us – about ourselves, but also about community, patience, friendship, and, yes, love.”

NEBRT President Sheryl Trent notes, "Folks, if you buy nothing else for a Holiday present for yourself and friends, you have to buy this extraordinary book, "You Had Me at Woof" by Julie Klam, our own volunteer with NEBTR. This is Julie's second book. Her first "Please Excuse My Daughter" was a riot. She relates her own personal stories of fostering with us, the tragedies and the joys. If you saw the video clip of Julie with her 3 dogs, then you will love to hear the story of how 2 of them became her very own through her fostering with NEBTR. I read this beautiful book on a flight to CA a few months ago (I was privileged to be given a pre-release by Julie). I know it's a cliche, but I laughed and I cried (actually sobbed during one very painful chapter).

I will treasure this book forever. So will you. NEBTR is featured so much throughout so, not only is it a source of pride for us, but will help all of us understand, or relate, to how it can impact you and your family when you volunteer to help rescued animals. This is a huge "Thumbs Up" for Julie and her wonderful book. "

The book was also reviewed and given a glowing review by the New York Times. You can read their review here.

Julie comments, "I'm hoping to bring a huge amount of attention to rescue and NEBTR and all the amazing work we do! You are all so wonderful and my overwhelming admiration for all you do was the inspiration for the book. I am blown away by what everyone does for the pups and the support given to other members. You are all my heroes."

Readers of this blog might also remember the story of Julie's experiences fostering senior Boston Terrier Dahlia, who is also featured in the new book.

Way to go Julie!