Texas Chainpaw Massacre Reviews “Inheriting Her Ghosts” and Chats About Animal Adoption for IHG Week
Too many movies, books, TV shows and video games use the trope of killing an animal to tug at our heartstrings or take a cheap shot at our feelings. For every Lassie or Benji there are a hundred unnamed critters who receive just a fleeting mention but leave a gaping hole in our hearts. No genre is more guilty of this than horror.
This was the main impetus behind our project, Texas ChainPaw Massacre, which helps horror fans find doppelgangers of overlooked horror movie critters that are up for adoption. We have lots of opinions about horror movies and animals, which is that they are all fantastic. However, something that always drives us crazy is the number of underappreciated animals included in horror movies purely for emotional manipulation. Why should Pipit have to die just to prove how scary Bruce the shark is?!
We were thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an early release of SH Cooper’s Inheriting Her Ghosts. This swift horror novella not only stars a fierce female lead but her two perfect companions: Cerberus and Black Shuck, her loyal wolfhounds. We won’t spoil too much for you, but we want to take a moment to commend Cooper on her representation of Cerberus and Black Shuck. The story's use of the adorable pups as characters, as opposed to for the sake of emotional manipulation or set dressing, is a feat that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Cerberus and Black Shuck get nearly as much attention and back story as the human protagonist with distinct personalities and adorable behavioral traits.
And why shouldn’t they?? Our own companion animals are more than extras in our lives, they are our best friends, our confidants, and our family.
Cooper’s choice of the Wolfhound for her stars is extra apt as these gentle giants make excellent companions. Just like Cerberus and Black Shuck, most Wolfhounds are eager to please, super loyal, very patient and highly intelligent. They make a great addition to a family of any size since they typically get along well with children and other animals. However, if Inheriting Her Ghosts is correct, they don’t get along great with ghosts.
Though Wolfhounds require a decent amount of space and exercise due to their large size, they are also well known for being big cuddlers who love nothing more than being a living blanket by sprawling across your feet.
But wait! Before you go out and purchase a pair of Irish Wolfhounds let’s stop for a moment and talk about what that means. No, we’re not talking about how many pounds of dog food you’ll go through. We’re talking about buying a purebred from a breeder.
To make a dog have short legs or a stubby nose, humans breed them with other dogs with those same traits. Many of these adorable features are actually life-threatening genetic defects. Dachshunds have severe back problems due to their long back and tiny legs; Frenchies die very young due to their inability to breathe through such flattened noses; and Great Dane’s are prone to bone and heart disease due to their unnatural size (to name just a few).
We’re not saying you shouldn’t adopt a wolfhound, or a Golden, or any other dog for that matter, but what we are saying is: ADOPT DON’T SHOP.
Not only are these “purebreds” often mated within their family, but they are usually born in puppy mills, inhumane high-volume breeding facilities with poor conditions that churn out puppies for profit. The only way to prevent dogs from these genetic diseases, poor conditions, and short life spans, is to reduce the demand for their breeding by adopting.
The benefits to adopting are ENDLESS. There are innumerable dogs already alive who need a home and will be euthanized if one is not found. Shelters are non-discriminate, when more space is needed they have to clear the cages. Euthanize lists are populated in order of how long a dog has spent in the shelter, which means dogs of any and every breed end up being killed to make space for new dogs coming in. Adopting a dog not only saves its life but makes space for another dog to be given a chance.
Plus, adoption fees are often MUCH lower than purchasing fees! For example, it’s only $200 to adopt Misha, an Irish Wolfhound in Eugene, Oregon whereas typical Irish Wolfhound puppies can cost upward of $1500 from a breeder! Plus, since Misha is being fostered right now, she’s already been potty trained, crate trained, and gets along with kids and other dogs.
Now that you’re convinced of the benefits of adopting versus purchasing a dog you’re probably wondering where you can adopt your very own Cerberus or Black Shuck!? No matter where you live you likely have at least one shelter and/or rescue in your area.
Typically, an animal shelter is a place where animals are surrendered or brought in after being found on the streets. Shelters can be a local pound and are often government-owned. Because so many animals are taken in, there is often a problem housing them all so adopting from a shelter is a great way to save a life and clear space for a second life to be saved as well!
An animal rescue is usually a private organization that takes in animals from various situations. Rescues usually provide temporary homes through a network of foster parents. Rescues are typically funded entirely by grants and donations so adopting from them means any fees go right back into saving more animals!
Check out ASPCA.org or PetFinder to find a shelter or rescue in your area. You can even search most of these resources by breed to easily find a Wolfhound or Wolfhound mix.
If you’re close to Los Angeles (or willing to travel), Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions specializes in Irish Wolfhounds (as well as 45 other large breeds).
If you’re in Illinois, check out Great Lakes Irish Wolfhound Association to adopt an Irish Wolfhound.
Need more information? Head over to our website or follow us on social media. Helping animals get adopted is our main purpose but we also enjoy bringing levity and happiness to the horror community, which has meant so much to us over the years. Always wanted your own Church (from Pet Sematary, 1989) or Jonesy (Alien, 1979)? We gotchu!
The TCPM sisters were born and raised in Staten Island, New York where they were introduced to horror movies at a very young age by their cousins who secretly borrowed them from their grandmother’s video store. They fell in love with Jaws and Critters and named all of their stuffed animals Church. They grew up with a dog, two cats, an iguana, and a snake. They currently still each live with a number of rescue animals of various species.
