⇒ Download Gratis Saving Simon How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion Jon Katz 9780345531193 Books

Saving Simon How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion Jon Katz 9780345531193 Books

Download As PDF : Saving Simon How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion Jon Katz 9780345531193 Books

Saving Simon How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion Jon Katz 9780345531193 Books

While I commend Katz for saving Simon, like some of the other reviewers, I find his contradictory views hard to tolerate. I have read other books by him that I liked much better. I just wanted to call him up and scream at him when I got to the part in this book about how he dealt with poor Rocky the pony. Anyone with animal experience knows that older, infirm animals are a target for other animals and are often at risk of being bullied or injured. Yet, instead of separating the pony from the donkeys,which speaking from personal experience is in no way an insurmountable obstacle, he has the pony euthanized. I understand the pony was old and blind but he seemed to be doing ok before Katz moved his animals onto the property where the pony had lived his whole life. He was stupid enough to put Rocky back in harm's way again after Simon had attacked him once, then implies that the pony suddenly goes downhill and needs to be euthanized, when what he probably needed was to be protected from Simon. I'm not blaming Simon, he was just being a donkey, but Katz shows poor judgement and the pony pays for it with his life.


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Saving Simon How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion Jon Katz 9780345531193 Books Reviews

MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD. I was in love with this book and with its subject, Simon, up until Mr. Katz recounted his decision to solve the problem of conflict between Simon the donkey and Rocky the blind pony by having Rocky put down. That shocking decision was for me the end of the book and the end of my attachment to it and to Simon. Worse, as a result of me expressing my dismay about that decision to Mr. Katz in an email, I received several responses from him that were filled with invective and hatred. After learning that Simon was not the donkey I thought he was, I learned that Mr. Katz is not the person he portrays himself to be in this book. All in all reading this book and then dealing with Mr. Katz's rage and hatred were traumatic. I regret ever reading the book, and I especially regret emailing Mr. Katz.
Jon Katz, trying so hard to heal himself and searching for the meaning of compassion - I cannot fathom how you could rationalize that taking over Rocky's farm and turning him into an outsider and a victim was in ANY way acceptable. You then killed HIM in order to "be compassionate." You were not at all compassionate. You were lazy. You could have fenced off an area to keep the donkeys away from Rocky. Rocky was there first. You killed him because he was a problem for you. Selfish. And actually not very sensitive to animals as u think. I will never read another of your books.
If you're in search of a feel-good, triumph from tragedy story, you may want to skip this one. As expected, some of the details of abuse were difficult for me to handle but they are an integral and important part of the story and do not seem to be too explicit just for shock value. I enjoyed pulling for Simon as he rallied from the unthinkable trauma he'd experienced to becoming his own quirky self. There were interesting facts and some funny stories, however, the author seemed to ramble a bit too much and was repetitious. As for Mr. Katz's own views, I found it difficult to align mine with his and therefore, did not feel a connection with him. I value other opinions but, unfortunately, his ruined the story for me. Be aware, as well, that the author tends to paint animal rescuers with a rather broad brush.
What a travesty. I cannot believe this man makes money selling such garbage. I finished the book and was left feeling incredibly despondent. Animals and children deserve our compassion. They have no control over their life circumstances or means to do anything about it. Yet the author wants us to have compassion for two adults who chose to leave an animal to starve to death rather than be responsible in finding it a home sending it to rescue or putting it out of its misery. And then to add insult the author had the pony euthanized because the male donkey is aggressive toward it. That was the only solution??? How about on seventeen acres you fence off an appropriate area for the pony? Not even believable that this was a good choice. Who are the crazies that advised him? I have owned large and small animals for forty years and never used murder as a first or last resort. Falling on hard times can happen to anyone. Being cruel and irresponsible has no excuse. Horrible author horrible book. Don't waste your money. May encourage him to kill another animal so he has a story to write
if I had noticed the authors name I would NEVER have bought this book. this is the man who wrote that horrible story A Good Dog. He has his dog euthanized because he can't figure out how to help it. this time he has a poor old blind pony euthanized because he bought the ponys farm and the pony became inconvenient to his life. if his mother had not died on her own he probably would have had her euthanized . I give books I don't like to the library. I throw this mans books in the trash. I find his compassion selective and offered only if it's convenient for him. the idea of him makes my skin crawl. if you would like to read about real compassion read A Three Dog Life or Chosen By A Horse , or the eighty dollar champion or the scent of the missing. these are true stories about truely compassionate people that will fill you with hope. Not someone trying to convince himself and everyone else that he is compassionate and failing.
Hate to give bad reviews to a generally well intentioned person, but I have to echo the sentiments of those who were incensed by the author's treatment of Rocky. Yes, he was old and blind and no one would expect the author to spend a fortune or jump through hoops, but it would not have taken much to separate him from the donkeys. Yes, he was going downhill but only because he was attacked multiple times by the donkeys. The vet saying at the time Rocky was put down that it was the merciful thing to do doesn't lend credibility for me about the whole situation.

I generally appreciated the book, even with some of the repetition, but Rocky's treatment ruined it for me and really disturbed me.
While I commend Katz for saving Simon, like some of the other reviewers, I find his contradictory views hard to tolerate. I have read other books by him that I liked much better. I just wanted to call him up and scream at him when I got to the part in this book about how he dealt with poor Rocky the pony. Anyone with animal experience knows that older, infirm animals are a target for other animals and are often at risk of being bullied or injured. Yet, instead of separating the pony from the donkeys,which speaking from personal experience is in no way an insurmountable obstacle, he has the pony euthanized. I understand the pony was old and blind but he seemed to be doing ok before Katz moved his animals onto the property where the pony had lived his whole life. He was stupid enough to put Rocky back in harm's way again after Simon had attacked him once, then implies that the pony suddenly goes downhill and needs to be euthanized, when what he probably needed was to be protected from Simon. I'm not blaming Simon, he was just being a donkey, but Katz shows poor judgement and the pony pays for it with his life.