Writers Beware--Kill An Animal, Risk a Reader

By Linda Lovely

I promise. No dogs (or horses or cats or mules or goats or pigs) will cross over the rainbow bridge in my new Brie Hooker mystery series. The easiest way for an author to offend (and lose) readers is to allow a character in her book to kill an animal. Well, maybe a poisonous snake would be okay, and, if you're Stephen King you can cast a rabid dog as a villain as he did in Cujo.

As an adult, I developed serious allergies to dogs and cats. So I haven’t had a really close relationship with a pet since Brownie, the Heinz 57 mix dog I loved as a kid. In adulthood, I’ve been bitten by a dog while walking and minding my own business. I’ve also been chased by growling hounds who appear to lust after bicycle tires. These encounters led me to make one of my animal characters a villain in Dead Line, the first book in my Smart Women, Dumb Luck romantic thriller series. The villain dog died.

In my defense, the deceased canine is the villain in a brief subplot, essential in providing insight into the snarling attack dog’s far more villainous owner. What’s more, the subplot also features a tail-wagging hero dog who saves my heroine. Any further explanation could act as a plot spoiler. So here’s what these two dogs might say if they could talk.   

• The Villain Dog

I’m only following orders. I was abused as a puppy, and I was trained to fight other dogs. When I growl and savage other dogs, people cheer, and I get food and praise. I’ve been chained up and beaten. I do what I’ve been trained to do in order to survive.  

• The Hero Dog

I love people. Haven’t really met one I wouldn’t lick. They scratch behind my ears, give me yummy treats, and help rid me of annoying fleas. Sometimes they talk baby talk to me even though I’m fully grown. Guess they still think of me as a puppy even though I’m a hard-working adult. Don’t I chase all those obnoxious squeaky squirrels out of our yard? I’m brave, too. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my humans safe.

Okay, I’ve given my dog characters a say they didn’t get in Dead Line since they weren't afforded speaking parts. Nonetheless, I renew my pledge to avoid any future canine (or other animal) deaths in my books. I’ll stick to killing off literary stand-ins for the people who have seriously annoyed me.

So readers why is it that mystery/suspense/thriller authors can kill kindly, wrinkled grandmothers and clueless, fresh-faced teenagers as often as their plots and murder counts require, but they should never, never, ever kill a dog on the page of a novel?

Why do you think the death of a fictional animal seems more offensive to many mystery readers than the death of a fictional human being?  Like the villain dog in Dead Line, human villains also may have been abused in their youth and rewarded for bad behavior, but we can handle their deaths. Is it because dog is man’s best friend and we have an emotional bond with the species? Is it because humans are supposed to be the protectors of helpless animals? What’s your opinion?

Great Pyrenees-Meet Udderly Kidding's Animal Cast

By Linda Lovely

My new light-hearted Brie Hooker Mystery series is set on a goat farm, Udderly Kidding Dairy, in Upstate South Carolina. Naturally, the farm boasts lots of four-legged residents, who often play important roles in the plots.  So, every other Friday, I’ll be introducing readers to my animal cast. Today’s spotlight is on the Great Pyrenees dogs that guard Udderly’s 400 goats.

Kay Barrett and Coke

Udderly has five Great Pyrenees, just like Split Creek Farm, a real goat dairy located in the Upstate. While I’ve seen Split Creek’s guard dogs, I’m better acquainted with Coke, a relatively new addition to my friend Kay Barrett’s.household. A few months back, Kay went to an animal shelter to adopt a much smaller dog. However, she quickly fell under Coke’s spell. When we play tennis at Kay’s house, she sometimes lets Coke out to greet her tennis buddies at the end of our matches. Coke is a BIG delightful, friendly bundle of energy.

Appearance: Pyrenees are large—85 to 115 pounds when full grown—with luxurious white coats, chocolate eyes, and a plumed tail.

Work History:  Once France’s “royal” dog, he was bred to guard flocks in the Pyrenees mountains. His French nickname is Patou—shepherd. He’s a descendant of mastiff-type dogs. He isn’t a herder, he’s a protector. The Marquis de Lafayette brought the first Pyrs to America. At Udderly Kidding Dairy, these brave dogs protect the goats from coyotes—and poachers.

Traits: Gentle with children and all kinds of young animals. (Kay’s grandchildren adore Coke, who also puts up with a new kitten’s attentions.) A good hiking companion, but as an avid explorer or territory, he isn’t the best candidate for off-the-leash walks. .He’s great in cold weather, but sensitive to heat and he drools. The breed is naturally nocturnal.

Hope you’ll want to meet Udderly’s Pyrs when Henery Press releases BONES TO PICK, the first Brie Hooker Mystery in October.