Never Left Behind

Never Left Behind

How far would you go to be reunited with your dog? Never Left Behind is the compelling and incredible true story account of Chef entrepreneur, Paul Barthel, who refused to be separated from his Labrador Retriever while going through a highly contentious divorce, making headlines.

A compelling memoir that submerges the reader inside the bowels of derelict kitchens, offering the vivid account of a man - a chef for over 30 years - who would leave his knives behind and summon the same determination he found on the line in those kitchens to be reunited with his best friend. Separated for three years, impassioned, he mounted a campaign fighting for his dog's return, and grass roots stewardship efforts for laws protecting those creatures for an array of travails. In 2017, Illinois would become one of the first states to pass a bill recognizing pets in further seeking the best interest of the animal in domestic cases.

A heartwarming story, Never Left Behind will leave you laughing with behind the scenes restaurant kitchen anecdotes, while also inspiring you to find your spirit in life, however more importantly, question our human-animal relationship bond we share and how we allow animals to be treated.

A true story, Never Left Behind will offer you pause, recognizing, while as humans we may brandish a larger stick, does not allow us the fortitude for mistreatment or exploitation those animals we must hold dear. After reading, you will choose to look differently at those pets we welcome into our homes and those on our farms.

If you loved Citizen Canine, A Dogs Promise, Rescue Road, The Bond or Anthony Bourdain's; Kitchen Confidential, you will be inspired by Paul Barthel's, Never Left Behind.

What readers are saying about Never Left Behind:

"I cheated and had to go to the end of the book to find out what happened. Excellent Read!"



"Very similar to Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential. Great kitchen anecdotes, oh, and the dog!" "Amazing."



"Another dog book? I shudder. Was pleasantly surprised with a great read, a "true" story about a man losing his dog."



"I dreamt if only more of us shared a similar view of our four-legged friends."

 Consider this: A multi-billion-dollar industry; we lavish our companions with expensive gourmet pet food, pampering day spas, costly grooming, and pet "play dates."  They accompany us on our vacations, muddy our bamboo wood floors, shed profusely in all corners of the house, and on occasion surprise us with a mistake on our new Berber carpeting, unable to make it outside in time to conduct their business. 



     We conscientiously follow them around with our saved-up plastic grocery bags waiting ...