Debra White

"Nobody's Pets"

Dog Fancy January 2005 Column

By Kyra Kirkwood

A rangy, malnourished Sheltie mix purchased from a crack dealer on a Bronx street corner for $2 eventually saved the life of Debra White and inspired a whole new mission on Earth.

In January 1994, just six years after she rescued Maxine, White was struck by a car while out walking one night in upstate New York. The accident left her with numerous broken bones and a severe brain injury—so severe, she didn't remember anything for next five weeks. It wasn't until a neighbor brought Maxine and her canine sister Judy—another rescue— to see White did she begin to make progress regaining her cognitive abilities.

"There was something special about Maxine," says White. "I believe my dogs saved me from becoming angry or depressed. They gave me a reason to get up [every morning]. The healing power of pets is absolutely amazing."

Now, this former social worker from New York City calls Tempe, Ariz., home. She's made admirable strides in her rehabilitation, only needing a motorized wheelchair to help her maneuver efficiently. A long-time shelter volunteer, White continued her work when she moved to Arizona in 1997, wanting to repay the recovery-giving kindness of her rescued mutts. At the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, White became frustrated as she watched so many animals lose their lives due to overpopulation and owner neglect.

Always the problem solver, she realized she could help by using her life-long love of animals and her new-found passion for writing, discovered during her physical therapy.

And "Nobody's Pets" was born.

This children's chapter book about shelter animals not only encourages people to adopt from shelters, but also serves as a money maker for Maricopa's facility, sorely in need of new buildings and kennels. White donates a substantial portion of each self-published book sold to the shelter.

"Seeing all those animals come in, I see how they have to sit in those lousy, stinking cages," says White, 50. "I would love to watch a wrecking ball smash those buildings. I hate to see the animals in such a decrepit place."

The former New York City Marathon runner uses her athletic dedication in her new literary career. The book world is not often kind to newcomers ("breaking into publishing is harder than recovering from a brain injury"), but White is indignant. So important to her was "Nobody's Pets," she self-published.

"I have not lost my dedication to those animals, I'll keep doing it until I get it done," she says.

The realistic story told from the animals' point of view weaves the tale of homeless critters stolen from the Denver SPCA with the intention of selling them to research labs in Wyoming. But with friendship and dedication, the animals make their way back "home" to the shelter, still hoping to find forever families.

Currently, "Nobody's Pets" is located at various Arizona bookstores, churches, dog bakeries and shelters, as well as on Amazon.com and White's website, www.4-footedfriends.com. With her goal firmly in mind, White is tireless in her dedication to publicize the 126-page book, which features Maxine reborn as the character Biscuit. She wants to insure that other great rescues like her own are given the time and the opportunity to feel and return love.

"I honestly believe my dogs saved me," White says. "I owe it to them. Things happen for a reason. I do believe I have a second chance. I believe God spared my life and maybe this is the reason why."

Although Maxine and Judy are no longer with White, she shares her home with a menagerie of rescued dogs: Luke, Dharma, Freddie and Midnight. Whenever she feels impatient or frustrated about her mission, she just has to look into her companions' eyes.

"I am making a difference," she says. "I believe it. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. If everyone can take one [shelter dog], it makes a difference. Nobody is going to win this fight alone."