Hope – How Street Dogs Taught Me the Meaning of Life

by Niall Harbison

First published 2024

Niall Harbison wakes up in a Thai hospital, his body nearly destroyed by drugs and alcohol. The former Dublin advertising executive knows he must change or die. He finds purpose in the countless street dogs wandering Thailand's roads. Each animal carries wounds and needs help. McMuffin arrives covered in tumors, barely breathing, yet recovers to become part of Harbison's pack. King Whacker survives a brutal attack and transforms into the confident leader of rescued dogs. Little Rodney wins hearts worldwide with his oversized paws and puppy expressions. Harbison feeds, treats, and saves these animals one by one. His addiction nearly killed him, but the dogs give him reason to live. He sets an ambitious target of helping ten thousand street dogs. The animals he thought he was rescuing become his salvation instead.

Genres: animals, contemporary, non-fiction, biography-memoir

Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, redemption

Setting: Thailand

320 pages · Paperback · HarperElement

Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse, drug-use

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