Ahound the World

My Travels with Oscar

Every dog has a tale … and Oscar’s is more unique than most! When Oscar found himself on ‘death row’ in an animal shelter after being abandoned, he had little hope of survival. But when Joanne Lefson laid eyes on him, it was love at first sight: he was just what she needed to make her new house a home. Soon, Joanne noticed that Oscar’s goofy looks and delightful nature drew attention everywhere they went. Inspired by her canine companion’s laid-back attitude, his undying devotion and her own love of dogs, Joanne decided to expose the plight of the approximately 475 million homeless dogs in the world looking for a home. The result: the ‘World Woof Tour’, an apparently hare-brained scheme that involved Joanne and Oscar embarking on an eight-month journey across five continents to visit over 60 welfare organisations. Everyone told Joanne it could not be done, which only made her more determined to make the tour happen. After plotting and planning and selling up almost all her worldly possessions to fund the journey, she and Oscar set off on the adventure of a lifetime. No obstacle was too big for this intrepid couple to overcome: whether squatting penniless on an idyllic Thai island, avoiding arrest in Rome after Oscar’s dip in the Trevi Fountain, facing difficult customs officials at countless airports or smuggling Oscar across international borders, Joanne’s quirky sense of humour and Oscar’s jolly disposition enabled them to rise to every occasion. Ahound the World tells the hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a dog who uses his new ‘leash on life’ to highlight the plight of homeless hounds across the globe. No read is more surprising, uplifting or tail-waggingly good than this!