Lost: Lost and Found Pet Posters from Around the World by Ian Phillips
My rating: 3/5 cats
you can make a book out of anything!! and if your hobby is collecting lost pet posters, all you gotta do is take pictures of them, and all the work of filling those pages is done for you! and to those of you who are already thinking “what kind of monster collects lost pet fliers, removing them so that people don’t know someone is missing their pet??,” never fear. the author advises: If you start your own collection, replace posters you remove with new ones: if you remove one, make copies and put ten back.
did i mention that the author is canadian?
but as kind as that is, this is still essentially a book comprised of other people’s grief, which is hard to not feel lousy about. as much as i would like to imagine these missing animals are just out there having adventures,
the reality is that the wild is full of dangers for domesticated animals.
this book represents the author’s favorite posters from around the world and from over a decade of taking out ads and contacting people across the globe to add to the collection.
it is found art at its saddest.
because although a (very few) of these signs include a happy ending,
most just show the poster and you assume the worst. if you’re me.
there are dogs stolen during carjackings,
purse dogs stolen along with the purse,
animals missing due to earthquakes,
snowstorms (but another happy ending—except for the blind and no-tail part),
hero dogs,
and the consequences of difficult breakups.
but so many are just plain heartbreaking—tearful pleas from owners of all ages.
it’s true that some of them are creative
this one is adorable; here’s a closer look at some of it
and some are even beautiful.
this one gets points for being beautiful AND for honesty—aimant griffer les enfants means that this cat enjoys scratching children. also noted, not into purring. my kind of cat!
the variety of missing animals, once you get past the expected dog-and-cat signs, is pretty interesting
especially these, because how would you even know if you found the right one?
and putting aside any personal discomfort i have, some of these are objectively great—creative and funny.
it’s no wonder this one ran off—no one looks forward to having their male cat operation.
this one, too. tiaras on tumors—insult to injury
and in the “you had one job” category, this one is at least half of a happy story
while this one is pure nightmare
who steals a dog with no legs?? who loses a dog with no legs?
there are also some “found” posters, including this very judgmental one
this one is notable because of the note at the bottom:
Kitty Lang came back a year later, well groomed and overweight, with a second cat.
ADVENTURES!!! TALES!!
however, my disney glee was promptly squashed by the rest of the note: Since a new office cat had taken residence, Kitty moved out to the country farm of a relative of one employee and the second cat was adopted by another. way to break up the band, xtra…poor kitty lang can’t catch a break
some of the rewards for these animals is making me think i should use my time searching for lost pets
although some are too specific
and the number of posters that say “dead or alive” make me a little nauseated.
at the end of the book is a whole section on how to write and display the most effective “lost” poster should you ever need to (and i hope you never do). but it’s something that could probably have come in handy for a few of these.
“cutest dog in NYC” is a bit subjective, but good inclusion of “small feet.”
although i am dangerously close to dissing this poster, so i will step off
and this is why we have adult supervision.
half “siameces,” half “normal”
this is probably the best poster: straight to the point
and this wins “best cat photo”—such a chubby cutie!
in closing, if this dog is still missing, i would look hard at greg stahl. he is the most likely suspect.
here is a map of where the posters originate
and this little guy wayyy out here
however, you will find no posters from iceland:
One letter from someone in Iceland explained that people in Iceland don’t lose their pets and that I would never get a poster from anyone there.
must be nice.
or the netherlands:
“We just don’t do that sorta thing in Holland. Lose a pet and the thing to do is go out and buy a new one.”
brrrr, that’s cold
it’s a fine book, but way too sad to be shelved in the “humor” section. for shame, BN!
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