My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir

Tia Torres

Jan 2019 · HarperCollins

About this ebook

From one of the most respected figures in the dog rescue community come the harrowing, funny, and inspiring stories of nine incredible dogs that shaped her life.

Tia Torres, beloved underdog advocate and star of Animal Planet's hit show Pit Bulls & Parolees, chronicles her roller-coaster life in this heartwarming memoir featuring some of her best-loved dogs. With inimitable honesty and characteristic brashness, Tia captures the spirit and heart of these intelligent and loving canines, while carrying us behind the scenes of her TV show, into the heart of post-Katrina New Orleans, onto the soundstages of Hollywood films, and even to the jungles of Sri Lanka.

Tia has devoted her life to shattering the stereotype that pit bulls are dangerous, vicious predators. As the top dog at the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans, the largest pit bull rescue in the United States, she and her team have rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed hundreds of animals that might otherwise have been destroyed. As she puts it, "Most of the stories in this book are about animals (and a few humans) that needed someone to believe in them and a purpose in order to show their true nobility."

Each dog Tia writes about here has overcome abuse, trauma, neglect, or just bad luck to become a stalwart, loving companion to Tia and her family. You'll meetDuke, whose intelligence and matinee-idol looks made him a star in movies and music videos; Junkyard Joe, whose single-minded passion for tennis balls was channeled into expertise as a drug-sniffing dog;Bluie, the unswerving protector of Tia's daughter Tania; and a host of other unforgettable canines.

My Life Among the Underdogs

is above all a love story--one that is sure to grip the heart of anyone who has ever loved a dog.

Ratings and reviews

I absolutely love the book, there were some really good moments in there, as I was reading each story, it was almost like I was there to see it in person. Thank you Tia for doing what you love and letting the fans and the world be a small part of seeing what you and your family doing each and every day. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of Tia or what she does. Fantastic book, I couldn't put it down.

I have been waiting for a book from Tia for so long. Like many others I watch EVERY show over and over. My wish and bucket list is to go to VRC and visit ALL the dogs, Tia and her family. I know I'm asking alot.

I havent got the book yet because it not long just come out.. but I watch all here programs I'm up to date with them all I love here she is amazing woman all ere children are amazing aswell what they do for the dogs. :) I love erl if tht how spell his name :)

About the author

Tia Torres is the founder and proprietor of Villalobos Rescue Center, the largest Pit Bull facility in the United States, and the star of the hugely popular Animal Planet show Pit Bulls & Parolees, which has been on the air since 2009. After serving six years in the army, Torres worked for a Los Angeles city program to curb gang violence, serving as a liaison between the city and gang members. She also became an advocate for Pit Bulls, forming the Pit Bull Support Group, which offered free classes and assistance for Pit Bull owners. In 2006, she launched Underdawgz, a program that pairs parolees with rescue dogs. Tia lives somewhere in the swamps of south Louisiana with eight dogs.