Pet Memoir

From the time she is nine years old and discovers a “Private Way” full of the wonderful and creepy creatures of the wild - spiders, deer, moles, chipmunks, and foxes - Lauren Slater finds in animals a refuge from the troubled life of her suburban home. As she matures, her bond with animals - raccoons, horses, swans, cats, and primarily, dogs - strengthens and grows more complex and compelling. They offer relief from the pain of her mother’s mental illness.

For fans of A Street Cat Named Bob and Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, Strays is a compelling true story of a man who rescues a stray, injured cat and how they save each other. Homeless, alcoholic, and depressed, Michael King lives in a UPS loading bay on the wrong side of the tracks in Portland, Oregon. One rainy night, he stumbles upon a hurt, starving, scruffy cat and takes her in.

From “a genuine American Dostoevsky” ( The Washington Post): A dazzling, funny, bittersweet exploration of the mysteries of relationship, both human and animal. When his favorite cat Biscuit goes missing, Peter Trachtenberg sets out to find her. The journey takes him 700 miles and many years into his past - into the history of his relationships with cats and the history of his relationship with his wife F., who may herself be on the verge of disappearing.

When John Tovey lost his sight at the age of 42, he thought his life was over. He was wrong, it was just beginning. John had followed a bad path drifting in and out of trouble. He was sent to improvement schools, a young offenders institute and eventually a prison. John was on self-destruct and thought nothing or no one could help him. Then he became the victim of a vicious attack by a notorious train ‘steaming’ gang. John knew he had to take the witness stand.

The emotional and poignant true story of a middle-aged couple that married after meeting Online, and the designer puppy that became their "together child", showing them that her role of filling their empty nest, though filled with trials, would be worth it in the end. Gary and Bobbi were building a life together, rebounding from past failed marriages. They had learned a lot. With excess baggage set aside, they vowed that this marriage would last forever. Just days after moving into their new home, Bobbi's early Christmas present arrived in the form of a Cockapoo puppy, Gracie.

Ginger the Cat entered my life when I thought I would never have a cat, dog, fish, ferret, or bird again. Two of my beloved cats had recently crossed over the rainbow bridge. I was determined to live a pet-free life. I first met her coming home from a business trip and decided to stay at my favorite B&B in Emlenton, PA. She saw me and claimed me as her own. I had no choice in the matter. We were together for 17 years and had many fur-raising adventures. Ginger soon promoted herself to HRH, Her Royal Highness, and I was appointed to the position of dedicated servant to her royal self.

After the New York Post's Cindy Adams lost her beloved husband, the famed comedian Joey Adams, the last thing on her mind was finding a companion. But that's exactly what she got when a visitor arrived with a surprise: a Yorkshire terrier named Jazzy. This is the true story of a tell-it-like-it-is gossip columnist who takes on society's most powerful and glamorous every day, but is ultimately redeemed by a tiny dog who teaches her more about joy and survival than any human ever could.

In Trust the Dog, the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation introduces listeners to a group of extraordinary people who, thanks to their guide dogs, flourish in a world that assumes the ability to see. Among them are a brother and sister who lost their sight at a very young age and whose dogs essentially helped them grow up, a Serbian girl who fled civil war to find new hope in America, and a newly blind single father determined to keep his family together against all odds.

Told for the first time, here is the story of a stray dog who eventually became affectionately known as Sergeant Stubby, the most famous war dog of World War I. Beloved award-winning children's author Ann Bausum brings her friendly writing style and in-depth research to her first book for adults. Stubby's story begins in 1917 when America is about to enter the war. A stray dog befriends Private J. Robert "Bob" Conroy at the Connecticut National Guard camp at Yale University, and the two become inseparable, eventually crossing an ocean and going to war together.

By the time life had finished hitting Rick Crandall from all sides, he was at the lowest point of his life, both personally and professionally. His wife, Pamela, makes an astute and life-changing suggestion: "Let's get a dog." So begins the story of Emme, a 200-pound Saint Bernard trapped in the body of a five-pound Australian terrier puppy. Soon, Emme and Rick hit the hiking trails around Aspen, Colorado. While she is groomed to be a show dog, it's soon obvious that her heart is in the hills and with Rick, who decides to add more challenging hikes to the mix.

For many outsiders, the word “ranching” conjures romantic images of riding on horseback through rolling grasslands while living and working against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain vistas. In this absorbing memoir of life in the Wyoming high country, Mary Budd Flitner offers a more authentic glimpse into the daily realities of ranch life - and what it takes to survive in the ranching world. Some of Flitner’s recollections are humorous and lighthearted. Others take a darker turn.

James "Head" Guiliani, a confidante of the Gotti regime, was arrested and jailed on a weapons charge. After his release, he fell back into alcohol and drug addiction - until, one day, he came across an abandoned, abused shih tzu in the street. He rescued the dog, whom he lovingly named Bruno and, in the process, turned his own life around.

In 1997 New York City hipsters Lee and Ed were at a crossroads. Money was tight, their careers were floundering, their apartment was tiny, and their relationship, frankly, was dysfunctional. Then, on a fateful day in August, they decided on impulse to visit a nearby animal shelter, just to look at dogs. In a split-second decision that would change their lives, they brought home Wallace. They quickly realized that this spaniel mix was more than they could handle.

Amanda always had a thirst for adventure. Perhaps it stemmed from growing up without electricity and running water, in the middle of a natural wonderland. Along came Cocoa, her family’s new dog, and the two became the best of friends as they shared a love of the wild surroundings. But Amanda felt like there was something missing, something “more” she had to discover, and gets the push necessary to find it in Australia.

Als die Autorin von ihrem Mann einen Gutschein für Anfängerstunden in der nahen Reitschule erhält, trifft sie dort auf das schwer traumatisierte Schulpferd Sanchez, dessen Schicksal sie nicht mehr loslässt. Gegen alle Vernunft kauft sie das Pferd und lernt, auf sein Wesen und seine Bedürfnisse einzugehen. Doch Sanchez leidet an einer heimtückischen Krankheit, die beide vor neue Herausforderungen stellt.

In 2006, William “Bill” Crain was a psychology professor and his wife, Ellen, a pediatrician. They purchased a run-down farm in upstate New York, and two years later opened Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary. It is now home to over 170 animals rescued from slaughter. In Animal Stories, Bill writes about how he and Ellen decided to start the sanctuary and tells the stories of 25 animals and their many surprising behaviors.

In this tender and spiritually uplifting tribute, Thank You, Lord for Our Precious, Maggie: A Tribute to Pet Owner Who Love Their Dog, invites listeners into the heart of a home transformed by unconditional love—poured out not just by people, but by a beautiful King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Magnolia Rose.

Scruffy, deaf, and homeless, life on the streets is tough for young Albi. What could the future possibly hold for an abandoned Spanish Podenco puppy that has been hit by a car and can’t hear? Yet despite a traumatic start, Albi’s life changes when he is rescued, brought to the UK, and fostered by Lois Sinclair, founder of the rescue charity, Gracehounds, and a passionate dog lover who has shared her life and home with numerous canine companions. Before long, Lois and Albi’s lives become interwoven.

There are always many choices in listening material. I could say, listen to this book if you love dogs. Yes, It's a dog story. Several dogs. Mostly my dogs, but it's also about the adventure, the exciting emotional and totally satisfying experience of having a dog as your best friend. You could say it's God's gift to humans allowing us to be in that wonderful love a dog has to offer.

A young Japanese woman was running through Tokyo station screaming “Save me! Save me!” There was a Japanese man chasing her and closing in. He grabbed her wrist and caught her, about 10 feet in front of me. The woman was still yelling “Save me! Save me!”, but the Japanese people in the crowded station ignored her, not wanting to get involved. This is the beginning of just one of the stories from my experience living in Japan in the 1980s, where I had moved right after graduating university.