The law describes author Kate Moore as a dog thief. She's stolen more than three hundred and fifty dogs throughout a period of five years. It's possible she's stolen more dogs than anyone else in Canada and possibly North America. But she doesn't think of herself as a thief, and she doesn't feel like one. Moore sees herself as a dog rescuer, one who rescues abused and neglected dogs who suffer at the hands of their owners.In Gone to the Dogs, Moore describes her rescue/theft of dozens of abused and neglected, chained, penned, and cruelly confined dogs that the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) refused to help despite their suffering. Each chapter about the rescue of a suffering dog alternates with chapters about Moore's journey through the court system, starting with her arrest and ending with her sentencing two years later.This memoir reveals that rescue isn't something you dabble in; it consumes your life.

It's stressful and emotionally and financially draining. But the rewards of watching formerly terrified and traumatized dogs shed their fears and blossom into joyful, confident, and loving beings makes every moment worth it.