Alison Pearce Stevens—Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

DETECTIVE DOGS:
HOW WORKING DOGS SNIFF OUT INVASIVE SPECIES
Alison Pearce Stevens
Holiday House, September 16, 2025
Hardcover, $20.99, eBook, $12.99
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9780823455645
eBook ASIN: 9780823461301

Stevens reports:

This book grew from an article I wrote on conservation dogs. I had a pollinator book on submission with Holiday House as part of their Books for a Better Earth collection, but they contracted someone else to do a pollinator book before mine made it through the acquisition process.

After checking my website, however, the BFBE team compiled a list of articles that would make good topics for their book collection. First up: a book that looks at invasive species through the lens of working dogs. Since invasive species aren’t super attention-grabbing, especially for kids, focusing on dogs provides a great way to engage that audience.

My super-short proposal made it through acquisitions, and then I was off to the field on three separate trips to see up close and personal how these dogs sniff out a variety of pesky pests.

Funding for those trips came from my advance. This was the first book I’ve written that required me to get out into the field for research. It was fun but also a logistical puzzle. I had a finite amount of time to make the trips, gather the information I needed, and draft the book.

Doing the research in person allowed me to take photos to illustrate the book. One trip involved two dog-handler teams rafting down the Snake River. My husband accompanied me. He and I split up, one per raft, so we could gather information and take photos with both groups throughout our entire stay.

I learned that it’s easy to forget things when you’re preparing for a trip into the field. In my mind, I had separated the idea of spending time outdoors from the process of doing research. As a result, I forgot to bring a recorder on my first trip and had to jot things down whenever I had a chance (my phone battery was terrible at the time). I didn’t have backup camera batteries with me on the first day. Now my field notebook has a list of everything I need to pack, so I’m fully prepared every time I head out.

Contact info:

• Alison Pearce Stevens, alison@apstevens.com
  • Stevens’ website: Alison Pearce Stevens
  • Bluesky: Alison Pearce Stevens
  • Facebook: Alison Pearce Stevens
  • Instagram: AlisonPStevens
• Book:
  • Holiday House: Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species
  • Stevens’ website: Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species
• Publicist: Sarah Howard Parker, sarah.howardparker@walkerbooksgroup.com
• Agent: Alexandra Weiss, 651-785-5263, alex@azantianlitagency.com

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Banner image adapted from original photo by Alison Pearce Stevens.

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