In Canis, by Robert E. Armstrong, the head of Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation & Care is Dr. Duncan MacDonell, a man of compassion, intelligence and common sense who’s already doing what anyone will recognize as a difficult, depressing, and thankless job. Then street people begin to turn up dead, victims of attacks by a huge canine. The police come to MacDonell for help. Is this killer beast a loose dog? A wild animal? A wolf-dog hybrid? Is it under someone’s control?
In the process of sorting it all out, MacDonell goes up against local politicians, his boss, the news media, animal rights activists, and some shady characters who sell vicious guard dogs to criminals and to … well, politicians.
MacDonell, with years of experience as a military veterinarian behind him, enlists the help of his employees, some trusted and some not. He recruits a former Air Force colleague who is an expert dog trainer. MacDonell even seeks the aid of his delightful wife, Jeannie. Just when he learns who is turning huge canines on homeless people and why, MacDonell finds himself in immediate danger of becoming the next prey in a deadly hunt.
This gripping story, its details handled with sensitivity, balance, and just the right dashes of humor and brilliance, will keep you enthralled to the heart-palpitating end. A great read.
