After years in England’s Royal Navy and then the Surrey Police, Colin Butcher found himself working for himself as a private detective and finally able to try out an idea he had a long time ago—to set up a detective agency for lost and stolen pets. And after a great deal of time and research, the UKPD was born.
United Kingdom Pet Detectives is Colin and his assistant Sam and their primary canine investigator Molly. Molly is a cocker spaniel with a playful spirit and the training to find a missing cat through scent detection. While dogs have long been used to help find humans, narcotics, and weapons, it was Colin’s original idea to train a dog to follow the scent of a wayward cat.
But for a long time, Colin was the only one who believed in the idea. It took him years to find anyone who thought it was possible to train a dog in such a way, and even longer to find anyone with the ability to train a dog in cat detection. But he didn’t give up. He found the right trainers, and then, eventually, they found the right dog.
Molly was a rescue, energetic and spirited but trainable, and after many long months of training for both dog and handler, Colin and Molly were finally able to head out on their first case, Rusty, an indoor/outdoor cat who would never willingly miss his weekly Friday night treat of haddock. When Rusty’s owners looked everywhere they could and their lost pet posters got no response, they called in the big guns. They called in Colin and Molly.
Colin’s decades of learning to understand human and animal behaviors, his comprehension of environmental factors, and his closeness to Molly gave them an edge on finding Rusty that no other pet detection team has ever had. And it worked! A little footwork, a little nosework, and Rusty was rescued from a nearby village, after he’d gone unnoticed on an ambulance ride with a neighbor.
Rusty’s successful return was their first successful mission, but it was hardly the last. They’ve already had more than 100 cases, and their ability to find lost and runaway cats make this cat lover’s heart happy. Molly is the heart-warming story of the journey from a dream to its fruition, from the rejection of naysayers to the adoration of the public. There are happy stories and ones that get away, criminals, snakes, media appearances, and lots of treats and tennis balls.
Molly is a must-read for pet lovers. And though it won’t be released until October 8, it’s definitely one to keep in mind for reading. I loved this sweet, moving story! It will be a long time before I forget Molly and her mission to find the missing cats and bring them back home.
Galleys for Molly were provided by Celadon Books, with many thanks. Oh, and Don is a big fan of the book too . . .
