Molly: The True Story of the Amazing Dog Who Rescues Cats

I was coming home from walking my two golden retrievers one night and while I was taking off their leads I noticed they were poking around a package on my front door step. They sniffed eagerly as I opened the envelope hoping it would be something for them, but alas it was book mail for mom!! It turned out to be Molly, by Colin Butcher. How fitting that my dogs sniffed this book out from behind a flower pot when this book is about a cocker spaniel who helps people in the UK find their lost cats. <br /><br />Initially, I was wondering how a whole book could be about this topic, but to my great delight it went into detail on the author who served in the Royal Navy, used to work for various police departments in the UK and his background working with canine units. Obviously, I’m a huge dog person, so I was hooked immediately. It was so interesting learning about the dogs Mr. Butcher worked with on various cases and how each breed of dog was used for something particular and that played to that dog’s strengths. <br /><br />Next, the book moved to how Mr. Butcher decided to start his own agency and eventually found and rescued his partner, Molly. Molly and Mr. Butcher's relationship throughout the book is incredibly touching and made me miss my dogs who are home while I'm on vacation. There were many times I wanted to give them a snuggle and smattering of kisses because this book is for any animal lover for sure.<br /><br />Overall, I am really glad I read this book and I learned a lot from it. It couldn't have been more clear how much Mr. Butcher loves animals and that really connects with me. This is an incredibly heartwarming story - and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read something uplifting.<br /><br />Thank you so much to Celadon Books and Colin Butcher for allowing me the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.<br /><br />Review Date: 8/20/19<br />Publication Date: 10/8/19

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of Molly, a fascinating and heartwarming book in return for an honest review. <br /><br /> I was unaware that anything like the United Kingdom Pet Detective Agency (UKPD) actually exists. Had this been a work of fiction I would think that the idea of a dog trained to find lost cats to be intriguing but far fetched and unbelievable. This is an interesting and informative true story. <br /><br /> The author, Colin Butcher, was previously a Detective Inspector with the Surrey Police and was awarded for his contribution to the Criminal Investigation Department. Wanting a new challenge, he set up a Detective Agency with the goal of recovering lost pets. His years of experience as a police detective led him to observe and work alongside police dogs and their handlers. He had seen how the dogs discovered illegal drugs through their highly developed sense of smell, and how they were trained to search for criminals.<br /><br /> He originated the idea of having a companion dog trained to trail lost cats by each cat's individual scent signature. In his search for a trainer, he received many refusals and ridicule. He was told the idea was an impossibility which would never work. He persisted in his goal until finally the centre for Medical Detection Dogs agreed to take on the training. Their usual work is to prepare dogs to detect changes in the health of people with medical conditions or to sniff out certain diseases. <br /><br /> Colin now had to find a dog that he considered right for the training and the work. He wanted a rescue dog, and after a long search found Molly. Molly was willful, stubborn and insecure, having been in a number of different homes during her young life. She is an intelligent, charismatic black cocker spaniel who readily charms the pet owners and others during searches. After successful training, she and Colin became an inseparable team. <br /><br /> The book describes many happy recoveries of missing pets and also the heartbreaking disappointments.it is clear that Colin shows a great deal of empathy for the distraught owners and their missing pets. The book is well-written and engaging. He describes some of their cases, the people they encounter, and the English countryside. By mid-December 2018, Colin and Molly had recovered 74 missing cats, 6 dogs and a tortoise. He intends to write further books about his adventures with Molly. <br /> I would recommend this book to cat and dog lovers, and anyone intrigued by the work of a unique, real-life detective agency.

Have you met Molly? Let me tell you a little about her. She’s a dog who rescues cats. Well, first, Colin rescues Molly because she needs a home, and Molly rescues Colin because he needs a new start of his own.<br /><br />Molly is chosen for the job to help Colin with finding missing pets. She is young and willful, but she’s also intelligent. And eventually, she wins over everyone, and through all her trials, she saves many a cat.<br /><br />Colin is the most sincere person, and it shines through in his storytelling. He’s an animal lover, and if you are, too, you simply have to read Molly’s story!<br /><br />Thank you to Celadon Books for the complimentary copy.<br /><br />Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.instagram.com/tarheelreader">www.instagram.com/tarheelreader</a>

<b>Animal lovers, sit up and take notice! I've got just the book for you! And it's a true story.</b><br /><br />Meet <b>Molly</b>, a lovable, spirited, talented, cocker spaniel.<br /><br />Now, may I introduce you to <b>Colin Butcher</b>, Molly's owner, a true hero, and inspiration.<br /><br />In 2005, Colin formed the <i>United Kingdom Pet Detective Agency (UKPD)</i>, and in 2016, Molly joined the team as his partner, and together they solve crimes. Yes, you read that correctly.<br /><br /><blockquote> <i>‘I think of Molly as the Watson to my Sherlock, and the Lewis to my Morse.’</i> </blockquote><br />Their mission, to locate and rescue missing and stolen animals, with a specific focus on Molly sniffing out lost cats. They are a godsend to heartbroken pet owners everywhere.<br /><br />Delightful, adorable, enjoyable and informative. I smiled, I laughed, I cried. There were moments of heartbreak. It was harrowing reading about animals in jeopardy – injured, mistreated and abused, and not all the searches had a happy ending. For the most part though, Molly’s journey was uplifting and remarkable. She's also extra special, because she was a rescue dog. The intensive six month scent-match training programme Molly underwent made for interesting reading, and I am in awe over the amazing team at <i>Medical Detection Dogs</i>, and their massive commitment to Molly's success.<br /><br />Colin's love for all creatures great and small shone through on every page. His background in the Royal Navy and as a DI in the Surrey Police Force gave him the necessary skills and experience to not only set up and operate a Pet Detective Agency, but also taught him how to deal with traumatised and distressed individuals. Knowledge he applies when faced with distraught families, whose beloved pet has gone missing.<br /><br /><b>Molly &amp; Me</b> was a book with so much heart, and an absolute pleasure to read.

Molly was such a heartwarming story, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I honestly never knew that the UKPD agency existed prior to reading this novel, but this truly opened my heart for this line of work. <br /><br />Author Colin Butcher had such an interesting take on his previous career as a detective, which led him to recovering lost pets. As a pet owner of three, I would gladly turn my efforts over to this team! <br /><br />*thank you to Celadon and Goodreads for the gifted copy for review. All opinions are my own.

If my cat EMMA is ever lost, I will be flying Pet Detective duo Colin Butcher, and his rescue dog, Molly, FIRST CLASS , to Gilbert, AZ to find her! <br /><br />YES, my cat means that much to me! ?<br /><br />If you love dogs, you will want to read about Molly, a dog trained to find a missing cat, by smelling its unique scent, off of a tuft of fur, and following the scent to the moggie’s hiding place. <br /><br />If you love cats, you will be moved by the tearful reunions between the felines and the humans who love them. <br /><br />Because this is a true story, not every case has a “happily ever after” resolution but as of this printing, 74 missing cats, 6 dogs, and one Hermann’s Tortoise have been located...and Molly and Colin are still on the prowl...<br /><br />Do I sniff a sequel ? I hope so! <br /><br />Thank You to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Colin and Molly for allowing me to read this heartwarming story in advance of its publication date in exchange for a candid review! You can pre-order this now and be reading it for yourself on Oct. 8, 2019!

If my cat EMMA is ever lost, I will be flying Pet Detective duo Colin Butcher, and his rescue dog, Molly, FIRST CLASS , to Gilbert, AZ to find her! <br /><br />YES, my cat means that much to me! ?<br /><br />If you love dogs, you will fall in love with Molly, a dog trained to find a missing cat, by smelling its unique scent, off of a tuft of fur, and following the scent to the moggie’s hiding place. <br /><br />If you love cats, you will be moved by the tearful reunions between the felines and the humans who love them. <br /><br />Because this is a true story, not every case has a “happily ever after” resolution but as of this printing, 74 missing cats, 6 dogs, and one Hermann’s Tortoise have been located...and Molly and Colin are still on the prowl...<br /><br />Do I sniff a sequel ? I hope so! <br /><br />Thank You to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and Colin and Molly for allowing me to read this heartwarming story in advance of its publication date in exchange for a candid review! You can pre-order this now and be reading it for yourself on Oct. 8, 2019!

Are you an animal lover? This is your book! The true story of a cocker spaniel named Molly and her owner retired Royal Navy and police constable Colin Butcher. Though Molly was young and inexperienced when Colin first got her, but after months of training Molly became a man (and feline's) best friend.<br /><br />Colin was particularly interested in helping people find their lost pets being an animal-lover himself and due to his experience on the police force. Often, helping someone with their pet helped build a connection, and it was much easier to assist them in other matters.<br /><br />Molly has outstanding olfactory senses and also a determined spirit. The book chronicles their first year together helping to rescue lost cats and reunite them with their owners.<br /><br />A sweet story that will definitely be a favorite for the pet lovers out there!<br /><br />Thank you to Celadon Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. <br />As a huge dog lover, I couldn't resist requesting this book. And I wasn't a bit disappointed. I absolutely loved this book. The author did a great job writing this book. And I'm so very happy that he trained a rescue dog rather than buying a dog from a breeder. <br />I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, especially dogs.

<b>2.5 Stars, rounded up because <i>doggo</i></b><br /><br />First things first: I <i>love</i> Molly. The title isn't lying when it calls her amazing, nor exaggerating when it says that she rescues cats. Molly is is <i>great</i> - a rescue who was trained to behave properly and track missing pets (particularly cats, though also occasionally dogs) as an offshoot of her new owner's work as an investigator. According to this book, she's even the very first canine pet detective in the UK. There's really nothing <i>not</i> to love about her!<br /><br />But this book... Well, there's quite a bit not to love about it, unfortunately.<br /><br />Though it's interesting enough to get a glimpse into what Molly does and her dynamic with 'Team Molly' while working, the narrative is meandering and repetitive far more often than I'd like. I found myself stalling out several times, struggling to pick the book back up, and even occasionally skimming the middle portion of a chapter or two. I get it: Molly's special, she's the first employed dog of her kind, she's been trained to follow specific commands, her working day should not exceed six hours in cooler months or four hours in summer... I don't need to be reminded once or twice <i>per chapter</i>; I promise, I can remember these details for the duration of a book.<br /><br />There were also <i>far too many</i> moments where the author painted former clients in a rather negative light or used wording I found a bit abrasive and unsettling. It would've been perfectly acceptable in fiction, but left me uncomfortable thinking about how these <i>real people</i> might feel to see themselves discussed in such a way. Most of them were paying clients, some of them the family thereof, and I felt it weighed the book down to see such caricatures of actual people rather than either more nuanced (or more favourable yet vague) descriptions.<br /><br />At one point, Butcher describes a time when Molly was injured by wildlife while searching the woods per a client's request. The client merely asked and he agreed even though he knew Molly was overworked at the time. Later, he recalls the situation with wording which implies the client did something wrong by making a request which Colin had every chance to refuse yet chose to accept. He refers to the lesson he learned from this as one to "not cave to clients' demands" as if she'd been demanding. I can't help but cringe a bit on the inside reading such a thing, hoping that this client never reads the book and sees the indirect blame placed on her for a terrible situation where Molly was harmed. It also felt a bit like a cop-out, since the 'lesson' worded in such a way follows a lengthy and harrowing expanse about how he felt guilty and blamed himself for not taking better care of Molly. Which one is it? Did he learn from his guilt to watch out for Molly no matter what, or did he offset that guilt onto the client who, not being a trained dog handler, had no means of knowing Molly's limits or the amount of danger she could be in when requesting the search? The leadup would suggest the former, but the verbiage would suggest the latter.<br /><br />I found myself feeling sympathetic for someone who hadn't even been harmed in the situation, rather than focusing my concern on Molly, in that moment. I'm not a fan of that!<br /><br />In fact, cringing in sympathy/empathy was something of a constant feeling whenever Butcher described clients. One man makes a well-meaning mistake and gets a bit overbearing when trying to help Colin find his family's missing cat. Colin proceeds to act as if the man is the worst burden ever and refer to the "stern words" the family has with the man (in front of him, rather than in private!) as if it's acceptable and justified to berate someone for making a mistake while trying to help. And in another case, he paints a particularly nasty picture of a client's sister, making the woman seem as if she's completely intolerable and the reason his client's family life is falling apart. Several clients, mostly female, also end up being referred to as if they're fragile (I believe one even used that exact wording) for being so distraught over their missing pets.<br /><br />It's a bit <i>much</i> and completely detracts from the awe of Molly's skills and the entertainment value of reading about a dog who rescues cats. I'm here for some heartwarming (and sometimes heartwrenching) tales of pets and their owners, <i>not</i> snap judgments on people who are dealing with fear for their pets' lives.<br /><br />I also couldn't stand Sarah, Colin's girlfriend. She is described as basically <i>loathing</i> Molly even before the poor dog's brought into the home. She's standoffish, jealous, and at times mean to Molly. It's bad enough that Colin takes time to <i>praise</i> the moment when Sarah starts referring to Molly by name instead of "it." (Yeah, seriously, that's a thing. An <i>extremely mentally exhausting</i> thing.) Then there's the time she grumbles in annoyance about Colin being a grown man who cares about missing cats... Frankly, the relationship - based on bits and pieces shown in the book - seems toxic, and is not the kind of thing I want to read about in a feel-good story about a doggo detective. <br /><br />To each their own, these are real people who have every right to happiness in their relationship, etc. <i>but I don't want to read about this particular relationship dynamic</i>, especially when it involves someone being a jerk to a precious dog. Doubly so, this annoys me when excuse after excuse is made and praise heaped upon Sarah for ultimately accepting Molly. Wow, congrats, she reached the baseline of not being mean to an innocent dog anymore. Someone give her a cookie! ? Every mention of Sarah just dragged the book down for me, perhaps because she made such a sour first impression that I just couldn't care less about the 'progress' she made. Nor could I understand why Butcher would put up with her nonsense when they were clearly very differently aligned on the dog lover vs. dog hater spectrum.<br /><br />Much like the drawn-out beginning which gives excess detail about Butcher's background pre-Molly and takes <i>forever</i> to get around to the titular character's adoption, the bits about Sarah and Molly clashing could have been left out to provide a much more cohesive story. Likewise, I'd have preferred to see more detail about the training and Molly's tracking skills with less drawn-out dialogue (which feels altered for dramatic effect, considering everyone is either rude or a gushing fan and they all have the same voice) and less judgment of clients. I'm not necessarily opposed to dramatization in a semi-autobiographical story, but it was done in a way which left a bad impression.<br /><br />That said, however, the parts where Molly saves the day - or even just tries her best - are delightful. Learning about Molly's background was interesting. <i>I adore this dog</i> and I've never met her! I even think Butcher has his heart in the right place most of the time and seems like a generally decent bloke. Maybe Sarah isn't even half bad in real life, either, and just seems so bad because he chose to only focus on the conflict with/about Molly's adoption. This book just suffers from unflattering narrative and editing choices which make it feel a smidge <i>tedious</i>. At times, the repetitive nature of some passages even made me feel bored - and ultimately stretched the reading time out so far that I had to return and re-borrow the book.<br /><br />I'm glad I read this, though. I feel like I'm a little better off for having knowledge of this precious Cocker Spaniel's existence. Besides, I've been wanting to read this book since it was $15 USD on Amazon - far too expensive for my tastes. The price only dropped to $10 recently, which I still consider a bit too high, but my library did finally get a copy... so I couldn't resist. Was this worth the wait? Ehh, I'm not sure. I probably could have done far better things with my reading time than being annoyed by Sarah's nonsensical conflict with Molly or feeling uncomfortable with the unflattering way some clients (or their families) were portrayed. But like I said: I'm glad I read it, all the same.<br /><br />If you're curious about Molly and your library has a copy of this book, go for it! But if you're facing the price tag - or if you just want the feel-good parts without being dragged down - I'd suggest checking out videos on YouTube instead. The Pet Detectives appear to have their own channel, and it features clips which cover some of Molly's past cases as well as demonstrations of her tracking in action. I find those far more engaging than the way this book was written.<br /><br />Look at that gorgeous doggo, though! Molly really is something special. So it does hurt a bit that I can't honestly rate this book higher. But what can I say? I have far more negatives to offer than positives and this was one of those books where I felt a sense of relief that it was <i>finally over</i> even though I enjoyed several chunks of it.