Rex and the City by Lee Harrington is a beautiful combination of laugh out loud funny and insight into the emotional payoff of adopting a dog.

I must admit, I started reading Rex and the City with the idea that this was another dog-in big-city-and-what-does-it-say-about-me book. Usually these books are 98% about the human and 2% about the dog. Not my thing since I want to read about the dog.

Was I ever wrong!

Yes, Rex and the City is set in New York City and, yes, it does involve a young city dweller getting her first dog and the title does sound like that television show I just can’t abide because its a celebration of superficiality. Thankfully, this book goes far beyond the superficial!

Harrington quickly moves through showing the relative emptiness of her big city life and into the world of rescue dogs as she and her live-in boyfriend decide on a whim to adopt a dog. Now it gets funny as Harrington and her boyfriend go through the search for a dog to adopt and the clearance through VERY careful shelter “mommas.”

Do Harrington and her boyfriend have a clue as to what they are getting into? No way! Are they prepared? No way! Are they going to make good pet parents? Good question!

If you have ever adopted a dog you will recognize the ups and downs, as well as the ultimate beauty achieved when the adoption “takes.” I laughed outloud so hard it hurt. I was also deeply touched as Harrington showed the deep emotional reasons why we adopt dogs. The writing drags you along (much like Rex after a squirrel) because you just have to know what happens next. Both the humor and the humans’ personal growth arise out of the dog-human relationship. If you have ever lived with a dog with a quirk (and who hasn’t if you’ve EVER lived with dogs) you’ll recognize Rex’s pet parents’ frustration and satisfaction.

In all, this an excellent book for anyone who has ever loved a dog, anyone who rescues dogs, anyone who adopts dogs and heck, anyone who HAS a dog.