
Dogs Save
Stories of Canine Redemption in US Culture
Katharine Mershon(Author)
Columbia University Press
Will be published approx. on 21. April 2026
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-0-231-20696-9 (ISBN)
Description
Stories about people and dogs saving one another are everywhere in US culture-on TV, in Hollywood movies, on social media, and even on bumper stickers. Yet these seemingly heartwarming stories of mutual rescue revolve around redemption through suffering, a narrative profoundly interwoven with Christian beliefs, white racial anxieties, and US national myths.
Katharine Mershon examines the unacknowledged religious underpinnings of stories about dogs, revealing deeply rooted cultural assumptions about who can be saved and how redemption ought to occur. She identifies the "canine redemption narrative" as the defining cultural script for the stories people in the United States tell about dogs and, in turn, the nation. Exposing unexamined assumptions about the relationships between people and dogs, Mershon sheds light on the central place of animals and religion in defining racial boundaries.
Dogs Save considers examples including the Michael Vick dogfighting case; Samuel Fuller's controversial B-movie White Dog; the TV show The Dog Whisperer, from the celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan; Laurie Anderson's film Heart of a Dog; and Eileen Myles's Afterglow (a dog memoir). Bringing together religious studies and animal studies, this book shows that redemption narratives shape who is allowed to survive and thrive in US society.
Katharine Mershon examines the unacknowledged religious underpinnings of stories about dogs, revealing deeply rooted cultural assumptions about who can be saved and how redemption ought to occur. She identifies the "canine redemption narrative" as the defining cultural script for the stories people in the United States tell about dogs and, in turn, the nation. Exposing unexamined assumptions about the relationships between people and dogs, Mershon sheds light on the central place of animals and religion in defining racial boundaries.
Dogs Save considers examples including the Michael Vick dogfighting case; Samuel Fuller's controversial B-movie White Dog; the TV show The Dog Whisperer, from the celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan; Laurie Anderson's film Heart of a Dog; and Eileen Myles's Afterglow (a dog memoir). Bringing together religious studies and animal studies, this book shows that redemption narratives shape who is allowed to survive and thrive in US society.
Reviews / Votes
An urgent, necessary read for those seeking to understand our enduring intimacy with animals-a sacred bond that Mershon fearlessly examines. -- Colin Dayan, author of <i>With Dogs at the Edge of Life</i> and <i>Animal Quintet</i> Katharine Mershon offers a signal contribution to animal studies in religious history, showing how stories of redemption script human relationships to dogs. Whenever humans talk about their dogs they reflect on what lives are worth having. After you read Dogs Save, you will never think about animal freedom the same way again. -- Kathryn Lofton, author of <i>Consuming Religion</i>More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
9 b&w film stills
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-231-20696-9 (9780231206969)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2026
Columbia University Press
€29.49
Available for download
Person
Katharine Mershon is assistant professor of philosophy and religion at Western Carolina University.