A review by gadrake
Dog Gone: A Lost Pet's Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home by Pauls Toutonghi

The simple premise is that a dog has gone missing and his family goes to astonishing length to bring him home. This is more than a rescue tale, however. Fielding Marshall is in college when he adopts Gonker, a golden retriever. Fielding is trying to figure out what he wants to pursue in life, has a troubled romantic interest, and is struggling with parental pressure to get it all figured out. Gonker, with his unconditional acceptance, is a lifeline for him. When Gonker contracts Addison's disease requiring vital monthly medication, all goes well until Fielding takes him on a hike along the Appalachian Trail hundreds of miles from home, and he disappears.

This is the story of a family with strained relationships, both past and present, coming together in powerful ways to support one another to save this endearing dog that will die without medication. The mother rallies an entire region to help find him, the father takes time to search with his son, and a community responds. VERDICT Pauls Toutonghi (Evel Knievel Days) offers a poignant reminder of the important role dogs often fill as they help their human companions bridge difficult life passages.

This is a review written for Library Journal May 15, 2016.