This had really high reviews ... but it was just okay for me. 2.5* Based on a true rescue, the author is the 'character' in the book that ultimately ends up adopting the dog ... but this is from the dog's perspective, from her birth to her meeting up with several people, ultimately Alyson and her husband. While there is some guess as to earlier life history - from the author's notes, some of what is imagined was based on guesses by the vet, from observing actions/triggers ... the author says "forgive me for the parts of this story that pure conjecture and fiction ..."  Ironically, as I came to record this, on Storygraph, this was listed as non-fiction/memoir. REALLY? With the dog talking to us, the reader? Methinks not. I filed a ticket and it's been corrected as fiction (which is how it was correctly listed on Goodreads). 

The idea of the doggy telling the story is cute ... I can see how this would totally appeal to the animal lovers out there, who imagine that their dogs are totally understanding everything, and having conversations in their head. Despite the happy ending here, there is a lot of bad things happening too ... so animal lovers would have a tough time, too much so for some I'm sure. 

The writing was a little stilted, not quite the natural flow I'm used to in my reads. The prologue was jarring, starting with a 3rd person (little boy and mother observing the dog) "I think she knows we're talking about her" ... then a switch to italics "I do indeed" the dog thought to herself. Then a "this is a remarkable tale. It's the story of that special little dog over there. And she has quite the story to tell ..." So WHO is the "voice" here, some omniscient narrator? The mother? Someone else? It just felt odd.

Then the book shifted to first person, from the moment of birth ... before really. And thus begins the story, told from the dog's POV. 

Just a personal pet peeve ... I like to know where the story I'm reading is taking place. I don't know that the location was actually essential to the story, but it's frustrating when I can't even pin down the place. I could tell it was not in the US, because of the spellings. The UK? Australia? Turns out it was Spain, then shifted to Portugal, but it took too long (in my opinion) for that to be revealed. I guess there's a clue there in the extended title (I despise extended titles, they try too hard). 

Beyond the alternate spellings (meagre, realised, mouldy, manoeuvred), instead of "smelled" ... the author used "smelt".  Also dreamt, spoilt, but still sneaked (when I'm actually totally okay with "snuck" as a past tense). I can deal with all but "smelt" ... smelt has a different meaning in the US (extract metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting) and it was used FOURTY times in the book. This dog was smelting everything! "Scoffed" was another odd word ... used here to mean eating quickly (scarf down?), because "scoff" is to "speak to someone or about something in a scornful, derisive or mocking way".   I realize there are regional variations, and I've read a lot, just have never encountered these before. At one point, "the gentle breeze ruffled my feathers" ... um FEATHERS? Is this still the DOG talking?

I got a little frustrated with the "understanding" or lack thereof of the dog towards humans. It was SO inconsistent. At times, it seems the dog could understand everything that was being said, then a few pages later - "not really understanding what she was saying"  then it was back to understanding, then not getting what was going on (are they going to leave me? Duh, of course not!)  It was grating at times, as it was SO obvious to the reader, yet oblivious to little doggo. 

An issue with non-fiction/memoirs, is that there often isn't a story arc, like with fiction, no built-up, conflict, resolution. Here, being based on actual happenings, the story rambled some, with no real reason to tell about certain events, just more of a journaling of what happened. In a normal story I'd be asking myself "why was that even brought up, included?"  An encounter with poisonous caterpillars (they avoid them), a cat attack (not too bad, maybe they had a litter they were protecting?), this and that happening on a walk on this day, something happening on a walk on that day. It just rambled a bit.

The "Kat the Dog" name was cute and silly ... but they sure called her tons of nicknames. I mean I do that with our kitties too (Joy ... we also call her Kitten and Princess, and Oreo is Oro-boro-smegadoro, Smoreo, or "old man") ... here, her original name was Luna, then Olayla ... I was a little surprised they didn't even think/talk about keeping that for a moment. While christened Kat, she was called  Missy as much or more. Then there was Ratty, Monkey, Pickle, Poppet ...

So, I finished it. Pretty easy and quick read. I actually will probably remember this, although there was nothing profound, no quotes to save/highlight. Not really one I'd recommend. Don't need to own a copy. Included in KindleUnlimited, text only. There was audio, but I didn't feel like paying the add-on price, so I just read it.