Five Stars. I enjoyed
reading “Merigal Dingoes: An Anthology of Dingo Stories from Merigal Dingo
Sanctuary” by Pamela King which is a wonderful collection of dingo stories.
This anthology includes stories by Berenice Walters, the founder of the
Australian Native Dog Training Society later renamed the Australian Native Dog
Conservation Society and Pamela King and others (even one by “Harry Dingo aka
Harry Houdini” Haha!). An excerpt from one of the stories by Berenice,
“The Dingo is the embodiment
of a free and natural spirit; independent, noble and aloof, dignified and
graceful, quiet and reflective; an animal of tremendous loyalty and compassion
for members of their family group or the human fortunate enough to have the
trust and love of this most intriguing native Australian. There are countless
tales of the devotion of the Dingo to a mate caught in a trap, poisoned, or
incapacitated in some way; of a bitch deliberately making a target of herself
to decoy a would-be enemy from her helpless pups; not aggressive enough to
attack, but courageous enough to die for those she loves.”
Filled with
intriguing, humorous, moving, thought-provoking, heart-breaking and
heart-warming stories of this amazing breed of dog, I felt humbled reading
about the instinctive traits of the Dingo such as a trust, loyalty, heroic
acts, and unbending devotion.
Berenice Walters
studied dingoes for over 40 years. The noble traits of this breed made Bernice
better understand herself and she steadfastly promoted the breed, so humankind
would likewise better understand themselves and the sometimes-forgotten noble
qualities that every human possesses.
Pamela King, a very close friend of
Berenice and herself a board member with the Australian Native Dog Conservation
Society, has included some of her stories and inserted intriguing pictures
throughout the book bringing the stories more to life and engaging me even more
as I read this wonderful book.
I finished this anthology sooner
than expected and felt gratified with the new knowledge and warm feelings from
this anthology.
Another excerpt about
Berenice’s much loved and special house dingo, Sheila,
“During the night she
(Sheila) would regularly check to make sure Berenice (who was suffering from
motor neuron disease) was there. Berenice would hear her claws clicking on the
tile floor, then feel breathing close to her face. If she appeared asleep,
Sheila would return to her bed; if she opened her eyes, Sheila slowly wagged
her tail in greeting.”
For information on how to order the book please visit www.pam.id.au
