Disaster-prone writer and reluctant dog rescuer Ken Foster finds himself adopting an ever-growing collection of stray dogs, from a beagle abandoned in a New York City dog run to a pit bull in a Mississippi truck stop. Their circumstances offer a grounding counterpoint to his own misfortunes: the shock of New York City after 9/11, the evacuation of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and the day his heart nearly stopped for good.

Subtitle from container. Unabridged.

How they find me -- On being rescued -- Getting rid of Rocco -- How to lose your best friend -- Abandoning Sinatra -- How dogs correct us -- The four-hour custody limit -- How to read a dog -- Two halves of a bone -- Two or three things about heartworms -- Endings and beginnings -- The folk art of lost pet flyers -- Wonder when you'll miss me -- Pit bull puppies -- The paradox of the no-kill shelter -- Valentino -- The dog who found me -- What zephyr dogs do when they need some attention -- The problem with my heart -- Dogs I reunited with their people -- Things that return -- How to prepare for the unexpected -- The unexpected.