Beautiful Joe

Published in 1893 Beautiful Joe was the first Canadian book to sell a million copies and was extremely popular in America too (selling almost a million copies by 1900). A work of fiction told from the dogs point of view it is based upon the true story of an abused dog (in the tradition of 1877s Black Beauty). It reflects many of the unfortunate realities of society in those days but it had an incredible impact upon the Western worlds ideas about humane treatment of animals. Interestingly it is still published with the author listed as Marshall Saunders. In fact it was written by Margaret Marshall Saunders and published using her middle name since it was felt that no one would want to buy a book written by a woman. (She was in fact the first woman to write a book which sold a million copies!) Every animal shelter and rescue organization in America and Canada owes a debt to Beautiful Joe.