Lawyer for the Dog: A Sally Baynard Novel

By: Lee Robinson
Illustrated By: Young Gin Lin
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: July 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-05241-4
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: August 7, 2015

There were many things in Sally Baynard's life that she did not look back fondly upon such as her divorce from her husband, her mother’s disappointment over that divorce, and her failed love life. However, she was the owner of her own law firm which she started after the divorce. She also realized that the person she became while she was married was not the person she wanted to be. She was never going to be the high society wife that her ex-husband Judge Joe Baynard wanted her to be, and she was perfectly fine with that until he calls her to represent a client in the case he is overseeing.

Unknowing to Sally this client turns out to be none other than a dog and instantly Sally is furious with her ex-husband for getting her into such a mess. He claims that he needs a lawyer to represent the dog individually as the husband and wife cannot agree on who should take the dog, Sherman, after the divorce, as both parties furiously want to keep him. Now Sally finds herself in the middle of a dispute that she has never encountered before, as she is instantly put in charge of determining which party is better suited to take care of Sherman. It has been years since Sally has even had a dog let alone taken care of one on a daily basis, so it is a stretch to say that she can give an accurate decision but having no choice she takes the job as Lawyer for the Dog.

Of course it does not take long for this case to become quite complicated as neither the wife or husband are reasonable in their dealings with one another, Joe seems to be digging up old feelings for Sally, and on top of that Sherman’s veterinarian turns out to be quite handsome, a fact not lost on Sally every time she sees him. In addition, Sherman also finds his way into Sally’s heart as she finds that she may be making this more of an emotional decision that one based on facts, which as a lawyer usually leads to trouble.

The main character of Sally was easy for me to cheer on from the very beginning as I am drawn to a strong but still relatable female character. The hilarious situations Sally finds herself in while dealing with Sherman had me laughing through each chapter. No one knows exactly what to expect when dealing with animals and author Lee Robinson brings together this interesting case and funny dog antics in a perfect way. It was neat to read a book centered on law written by a former lawyer as I could see the influence of Robinson’s law experience and for me that made the story even more interesting as the reader was able to see the day to day feelings of the lawyer.

Quill says: This is a quirky and fun story that had me laughing out loud the whole way through.