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Animals
For many aquarists, information on their hobby is limited to goldfish and exotic tropical fishes commonly available in local pet stores. Existing guides ignore native American species simply because few people have collected, kept, and successfully propagated them, and reliable information is difficult to find. In American Aquarium Fishes, Robert J. Goldstein and other serious aquarists, applying their specialized expertise on North American fishes, have compiled a comprehensive guide to hundreds of native fishes suitable for the home aquarium. American Aquarium Fishes corrects misconceptions about minnows and suckers, pygmy sunfishes and dwarf catfishes, perches and their tiny relatives, the darters, and even the mysterious blind cave fishes. This first-of-its-kind guide provides step-by-step instructions on where to find, how to identify, how to catch, and how to keep and even breed myriad backyard fishes. Goldstein explains why fishes occur where they do and warns against putting fishes where they do not belong. He discusses protected species and offers guidance on the rules for collecting in each state. He also gives detailed instructions on how to transport and ship native fishes across the country and around the world.A chapter on aquarium plants by Richard Edwards, accompanied by 24 line drawings, provides details on collecting and propagating the most adaptable and beautiful aquatic plants likely to be encountered by fish collectors everywhere. The work is enhanced by over 350 spectacular photographs by Goldstein, William F. Roston, Richard Bryant, Fred C. Rohde, and Garold Sneegas, featuring vivid underwater images of spawners in full nuptial coloration. Goldstein has provided a unique tool for American naturalists and a new dimension to the international hobby of breeding aquarium fishes. Destined to become the standard guide for housing and breeding American fishes, American Aquarium Fishes will be equally useful both to aquarists and biologists.
The diverse habitats of Illinois--savannas, rivers, marshes, forests, and beaches--offer a home for hundreds of types of birds throughout the year. And as one of the important "flyover states," Illinois welcomes hundreds of species of migrating birds during the spring and fall. From the shores of Lake Michigan in the north to the central Great Plains to the magnificent Shawnee National Forest, Illinois is a magnificent state for birds and birders. Written by a third-generation Illinoisan birder and filled with over 500 color images of birds in native habitats, this is the perfect companion for anyone interested in learning about the natural history and diversity of the state's birds and when and where to find them.
From the host of the Travel Channel's "The Wild Within." A hunt for the American buffalo--an adventurous, fascinating examination of an animal that has haunted the American imagination. In 2005, Steven Rinella won a lottery permit to hunt for a wild buffalo, or American bison, in the Alaskan wilderness. Despite the odds--there's only a 2 percent chance of drawing the permit, and fewer than 20 percent of those hunters are successful--Rinella managed to kill a buffalo on a snow-covered mountainside and then raft the meat back to civilization while being trailed by grizzly bears and suffering from hypothermia. Throughout these adventures, Rinella found himself contemplating his own place among the 14,000 years' worth of buffalo hunters in North America, as well as the buffalo's place in the American experience. At the time of the Revolutionary War, North America was home to approximately 40 million buffalo, the largest herd of big mammals on the planet, but by the mid-1890s only a few hundred remained. Now that the buffalo is on the verge of a dramatic ecological recovery across the West, Americans are faced with the challenge of how, and if, we can dare to share our land with a beast that is the embodiment of the American wilderness. American Buffalo is a narrative tale of Rinella's hunt. But beyond that, it is the story of the many ways in which the buffalo has shaped our national identity. Rinella takes us across the continent in search of the buffalo's past, present, and future: to the Bering Land Bridge, where scientists search for buffalo bones amid artifacts of the New World's earliest human inhabitants; to buffalo jumps where Native Americans once ran buffalo over cliffs by the thousands; to the Detroit Carbon works, a "bone charcoal" plant that made fortunes in the late 1800s by turning millions of tons of buffalo bones into bone meal, black dye, and fine china; and even to an abattoir turned fashion mecca in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, where a depressed buffalo named Black Diamond met his fate after serving as the model for the American nickel. Rinella's erudition and exuberance, combined with his gift for storytelling, make him the perfect guide for a book that combines outdoor adventure with a quirky blend of facts and observations about history, biology, and the natural world. Both a captivating narrative and a book of environmental and historical significance, American Buffalo tells us as much about ourselves as Americans as it does about the creature who perhaps best of all embodies the American ethos.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS & EDITORS Book Award, Finalist 2014
"Greenberg s breezy, engaging style weaves history, politics, environmental policy, and marine biology." --New Yorker
In American Catch, award-winning author Paul Greenberg takes the same skills that won him acclaim in Four Fish to uncover the tragic unraveling of the nation s seafood supply telling the surprising story of why Americans stopped eating from their own waters.
In 2005, the United States imported five billion pounds of seafood, nearly double what we imported twenty years earlier. Bizarrely, during that same period, our seafood exports quadrupled. American Catch examines New York oysters, Gulf shrimp, and Alaskan salmon to reveal how it came to be that 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat is foreign.
In the 1920s, the average New Yorker ate six hundred local oysters a year. Today, the only edible oysters lie outside city limits. Following the trail of environmental desecration, Greenberg comes to view the New York City oyster as a reminder of what is lost when local waters are not valued as a food source.
Farther south, a different catastrophe threatens another seafood-rich environment. When Greenberg visits the Gulf of Mexico, he arrives expecting to learn of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill s lingering effects on shrimpers, but instead finds that the more immediate threat to business comes from overseas. Asian-farmed shrimp cheap, abundant, and a perfect vehicle for the frying and sauces Americans love have flooded the American market.
Finally, Greenberg visits Bristol Bay, Alaska, home to the biggest wild sockeye salmon run left in the world. A pristine, productive fishery, Bristol Bay is now at great risk: The proposed Pebble Mine project could under-mine the very spawning grounds that make this great run possible. In his search to discover why this pre-cious renewable resource isn t better protected, Green-berg encounters a shocking truth: the great majority of Alaskan salmon is sent out of the country, much of it to Asia. Sockeye salmon is one of the most nutritionally dense animal proteins on the planet, yet Americans are shipping it abroad.
Despite the challenges, hope abounds. In New York, Greenberg connects an oyster restoration project with a vision for how the bivalves might save the city from rising tides. In the Gulf, shrimpers band together to offer local catch direct to consumers. And in Bristol Bay, fishermen, environmentalists, and local Alaskans gather to roadblock Pebble Mine. With American Catch, Paul Greenberg proposes a way to break the current destructive patterns of consumption and return American catch back to American eaters.
The Washington Post:
"Americans need to eat more American seafood. It s a point [Greenberg] makes compellingly clear in his new book, American Catch: The Fight for our Local Seafood...Greenberg had at least one convert: me.
Jane Brody, New York Times
Excellent.
The Los Angeles Times
If this makes it sound like American Catch is another of those dry, haranguing issue-driven books that you read mostly out of obligation, you needn t worry. While Greenberg has a firm grasp of the facts, he also has a storyteller s knack for framing them in an entertaining way.
The Guardian (UK)
A wonderful new book
Tom Colicchio:
"This is on the top of my summer reading list. A Fast Food Nation for fish. "
"Greenberg s breezy, engaging style weaves history, politics, environmental policy, and marine biology." --New Yorker
In American Catch, award-winning author Paul Greenberg takes the same skills that won him acclaim in Four Fish to uncover the tragic unraveling of the nation s seafood supply telling the surprising story of why Americans stopped eating from their own waters.
In 2005, the United States imported five billion pounds of seafood, nearly double what we imported twenty years earlier. Bizarrely, during that same period, our seafood exports quadrupled. American Catch examines New York oysters, Gulf shrimp, and Alaskan salmon to reveal how it came to be that 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat is foreign.
In the 1920s, the average New Yorker ate six hundred local oysters a year. Today, the only edible oysters lie outside city limits. Following the trail of environmental desecration, Greenberg comes to view the New York City oyster as a reminder of what is lost when local waters are not valued as a food source.
Farther south, a different catastrophe threatens another seafood-rich environment. When Greenberg visits the Gulf of Mexico, he arrives expecting to learn of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill s lingering effects on shrimpers, but instead finds that the more immediate threat to business comes from overseas. Asian-farmed shrimp cheap, abundant, and a perfect vehicle for the frying and sauces Americans love have flooded the American market.
Finally, Greenberg visits Bristol Bay, Alaska, home to the biggest wild sockeye salmon run left in the world. A pristine, productive fishery, Bristol Bay is now at great risk: The proposed Pebble Mine project could under-mine the very spawning grounds that make this great run possible. In his search to discover why this pre-cious renewable resource isn t better protected, Green-berg encounters a shocking truth: the great majority of Alaskan salmon is sent out of the country, much of it to Asia. Sockeye salmon is one of the most nutritionally dense animal proteins on the planet, yet Americans are shipping it abroad.
Despite the challenges, hope abounds. In New York, Greenberg connects an oyster restoration project with a vision for how the bivalves might save the city from rising tides. In the Gulf, shrimpers band together to offer local catch direct to consumers. And in Bristol Bay, fishermen, environmentalists, and local Alaskans gather to roadblock Pebble Mine. With American Catch, Paul Greenberg proposes a way to break the current destructive patterns of consumption and return American catch back to American eaters.
The Washington Post:
"Americans need to eat more American seafood. It s a point [Greenberg] makes compellingly clear in his new book, American Catch: The Fight for our Local Seafood...Greenberg had at least one convert: me.
Jane Brody, New York Times
Excellent.
The Los Angeles Times
If this makes it sound like American Catch is another of those dry, haranguing issue-driven books that you read mostly out of obligation, you needn t worry. While Greenberg has a firm grasp of the facts, he also has a storyteller s knack for framing them in an entertaining way.
The Guardian (UK)
A wonderful new book
Tom Colicchio:
"This is on the top of my summer reading list. A Fast Food Nation for fish. "
Create the perfect training environment for your puppy with these simple steps! The American Kennel Club (AKC) is much more than just a few events that showcase the most skilled canines in the country. The AKC offers advice on everything from feeding and training your dog to caring for them throughout their lives. They have taken that know-how and put it into a puppy training manual that emphasizes common sense caring for puppies from before the dog arrives at its new home through its exciting and high-energy puppyhood. Whether dog owners are new and just learning the ropes of training a puppy or experienced owners that need a tune-up in all things puppy, Train Your Puppy Right offers something for everyone. For new dog owners, the book is a must. It shows how to best prepare the living space for the new pet as well as several life skills every dog owner should know and practice. These include: *How to prepare your home into a puppy-proof living space before the new arrival gets into everything *How to create a safe, inviting, and comfortable living area that your puppy can thrive and grow in *How to introduce the puppy to the rest of the family, including other pets and children *How to feed the puppy and what types of food it needs to grow up healthy and strong *Puppy grooming techniques to ensure comfort and promote good health *Simple yet complex training techniques *Advice on curbing unwanted or self-destructive behavior *Advice on troubleshooting common behavioral problems with your puppy *How to prepare the puppy for vet visits. For experienced owners, the book offers reminders of how to best position the puppy and the owners for success. As with children, raising a puppy often requires remembering the things you already know or have experienced, which makes The American Kennel Club's Train Your Puppy Right invaluable even to seasoned pros at dog training. There is not much a puppy can do that this book does not cover. Perhaps best of all, though, is that the book is not overcomplicated. The advice is easy to digest, and the various strategies, tactics, and tricks included are presented in simple language with easy-to-follow instructions. If you are looking for the easiest and most effective way to train your puppy, The American Kennel Club's Train Your Puppy Right is the book you need today. About the American Kennel Club: The organization was founded in 1884 and registers over one million dogs each year. The club sponsors over 22,000 events each year, including confirmation shows, agility events, obedience trials, and hunting and field competitions.
The fourth edition of the best-selling new owner s breed guide, The American Kennel Club s Meet the Breeds now presents profiles and photographs of 199 breeds, representing every AKC-recognized breed. Nearly 400 color photographs on 216 pages, the new edition includes the four new breeds entering the AKC in 2014: the American Hairless Terrier, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, the Norrbottenspets, and the Portuguese Podengo.
Now in its fifth year, the AKC Meet the Breed(r) event, which takes place each fall in New York City, is a spectacular forum for the public to meet different breeds of dogs (and cats) in the furand to talk to experts of each breed. This publication, authorized by the American Kennel Club, proves to be an accurate, reliable buyer s guide to assist potential new owners in their selection of the right breed.
In addition to color photographs of an adult and a puppy, breed profile include an official description of the breed with specifics of size, temperament, coat, and color, along with a brief history of the breed in its homeland and the United States. As an introduction to many familiar and lesser known breeds, The American Kennel Club s Meet the Breeds offers buyer s information on how to find and select a puppy plus contacts for each breed club s rescue programs. The profiles also include expert advice on grooming, training, activity level and exercise requirements, which new owners will find valuable in helping them make a decision about which breed best suits their lifestyles and expectations.
The book begins with an introductory chapter titled Are You Ready to Be a Dog Owner?, which briefly describes the responsibilities of dog ownership, as well as the specific qualities of the breeds categorized in each of the seven AKC Groups (Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding). Summary boxes in this chapter list the various characteristics of the dogs in each group.
The 199 breeds featured in the book are arranged alphabetically, and the profiles begin with the breed s year of AKC recognition and group classification. A resource section includes recommended books, periodicals, websites and AKC programs that new owners will find useful and informative. The book is fully indexed.
"
Now in its fifth year, the AKC Meet the Breed(r) event, which takes place each fall in New York City, is a spectacular forum for the public to meet different breeds of dogs (and cats) in the furand to talk to experts of each breed. This publication, authorized by the American Kennel Club, proves to be an accurate, reliable buyer s guide to assist potential new owners in their selection of the right breed.
In addition to color photographs of an adult and a puppy, breed profile include an official description of the breed with specifics of size, temperament, coat, and color, along with a brief history of the breed in its homeland and the United States. As an introduction to many familiar and lesser known breeds, The American Kennel Club s Meet the Breeds offers buyer s information on how to find and select a puppy plus contacts for each breed club s rescue programs. The profiles also include expert advice on grooming, training, activity level and exercise requirements, which new owners will find valuable in helping them make a decision about which breed best suits their lifestyles and expectations.
The book begins with an introductory chapter titled Are You Ready to Be a Dog Owner?, which briefly describes the responsibilities of dog ownership, as well as the specific qualities of the breeds categorized in each of the seven AKC Groups (Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding). Summary boxes in this chapter list the various characteristics of the dogs in each group.
The 199 breeds featured in the book are arranged alphabetically, and the profiles begin with the breed s year of AKC recognition and group classification. A resource section includes recommended books, periodicals, websites and AKC programs that new owners will find useful and informative. The book is fully indexed.
"
Updated to reflect all the latest taxonomic data, American Museum of Natural History Birds of North America is the complete photographic guide to the 657 species of birds found in the United States and Canada.
Ideal for the armchair bird enthusiast or dedicated bird watcher, this book includes stunning full-color photographs revealing 657 individual species with unrivaled clarity. The 550 most commonly seen birds are pictured with plumage variations, and images of subspecies and information on similar birds are provided to make differentiation easy, from game birds and waterfowl to shorebirds and swifts to owls, flycatchers, finches, and more. You can even discover which species to expect when and where with up-to-date, color-coded maps highlighting habitation and migratory patterns.
Written by a team of more than 30 birders and ornithologists with expertise in particular species or families, and produced in association with the American Museum of Natural History, this updated and refreshed edition of American Museum of Natural History Birds of North America is the ultimate photographic guide to every bird species in the United States and Canada.
"Birds of North America" is the ultimate family reference on the birds of the United States and Canada, in an accessible format that is perfect for field use.
Written by a team of more than 30 birders and ornithologists, each an expert on certain species or family bird groups, "Birds of North America" brings a whole new level of expertise to the birder's library, all in one category-killing volume. Information on behavior, nesting, and habitat, omitted from many field guides, is included throughout, while books on behavior don't include the wealth of identification information, in as accessible a format, as does this book.
Profiling more than 350 of the most commonly seen birds in eastern North America, this handy photographic field guide brings each species to life on the page.
From the American black duck to the snowy owl to the American Goldfinch, high-quality photographs capture the beauty of these birds and, coupled with concise text, make identification in the wild quick and effortless. Detailed illustrations show typical plumage, comparing juvenile and adult, male and female, and appearance during the winter and summer months. No matter when you want to go birdwatching, American Museum of Natural History: Pocket Birds of North America, Eastern Region can help you locate where a certain species can be seen throughout the entire year, even during migration season.
Created in association with the American Museum of Natural History and produced in a compact and easy-to-use format, American Museum of Natural History: Pocket Birds of North America, Eastern Region is the perfect field companion for bird enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience.
There's no sound quite like it, or as viscerally terrifying: the ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake. It's a chilling shorthand for imminent danger, and a reminder of the countless ways that nature can suddenly snuff us out. Yet most of us have never seen a timber rattler. Though they're found in thirty-one states, and near many major cities, in contemporary America timber rattlesnakes are creatures mostly of imagination and innate fear. Ted Levin aims to change that with America's Snake, a portrait of the timber rattlesnake, its place in America's pantheon of creatures and in our own frontier history--and of the heroic efforts to protect it against habitat loss, climate change, and the human tendency to kill what we fear. Taking us from labs where the secrets of the snake's evolutionary history are being unlocked to far-flung habitats whose locations are fiercely protected by biologists and dedicated amateur herpetologists alike, Levin paints a picture of a fascinating creature: peaceable, social, long-lived, and, despite our phobias, not inclined to bite. The timber rattler emerges here as emblematic of America and also, unfortunately, of the complicated, painful struggles involved in protecting and preserving the natural world. A wonderful mix of natural history, travel writing, and exemplary journalism, America's Snake is loaded with remarkable characters--none more so than the snake at its heart: frightening, perhaps; endangered, certainly; and unquestionably unforgettable.
The ultimate photographic guide to more than 650 species of bird found in North America. Ideal for the armchair bird enthusiast or dedicated bird-watcher, this beautiful bird-watching book includes stunning full-color photographs of over 650 birds, revealing each species with unrivaled clarity. A lavish introduction describes bird characteristics and behavior, while stunning full-color photographs reveal individual species for easy identification. The 550 most commonly seen birds are pictured in clear, close-up photographs, with images of similar birds provided to make differentiation easy, from game birds and waterfowl to shorebirds and swifts to owls, hummingbirds, finches, and so many more. Soar into the pages of this brilliant bird book to explore: - 650 birds species found in the United States and Canada
- Bird profiles feature information on social behavior, nesting & feeding habits, and flight patterns.
- Full-color photographs show the adult bird in typical plumage, with male/female, juvenile, and seasonal variations
- Color-coded maps highlight resident and migratory distributions to help spotters discover which species to expect when and where
-Includes bird sound audio app for mobile phone use
- Produced in association with the American Museum of Natural History, one of the world's leading authorities on ornithology Discover which species to expect when and where with up-to-date, color-coded maps highlighting habitation and migratory patterns. The most commonly seen species are given a whole page in the species catalog and each full-page profile includes images of plumage variations, subspecies, information on similar birds, and artworks of the bird in flight that reveal their outstretched wings. Rare birds and vagrants who occasionally stray into North America are also described. With easy-to-read accessible information provided throughout, accompanied by beautifully large illustrations, AMNH Birds of North America is a must-have book for bird-watchers of all ages and experiences, and doubling up as the perfect bird-watching gift for the budder birder in your life.
- Bird profiles feature information on social behavior, nesting & feeding habits, and flight patterns.
- Full-color photographs show the adult bird in typical plumage, with male/female, juvenile, and seasonal variations
- Color-coded maps highlight resident and migratory distributions to help spotters discover which species to expect when and where
-Includes bird sound audio app for mobile phone use
- Produced in association with the American Museum of Natural History, one of the world's leading authorities on ornithology Discover which species to expect when and where with up-to-date, color-coded maps highlighting habitation and migratory patterns. The most commonly seen species are given a whole page in the species catalog and each full-page profile includes images of plumage variations, subspecies, information on similar birds, and artworks of the bird in flight that reveal their outstretched wings. Rare birds and vagrants who occasionally stray into North America are also described. With easy-to-read accessible information provided throughout, accompanied by beautifully large illustrations, AMNH Birds of North America is a must-have book for bird-watchers of all ages and experiences, and doubling up as the perfect bird-watching gift for the budder birder in your life.
Foreword by Jane Goodall A former student and colleague of Jane Goodall shares stories of chimps and their heroes, and takes readers on a journey to save man's closest relative. Unbeknownst to much of the public, chimps are in trouble: censuses show them to be extinct in four African countries and nearly so in ten others. A large percentage of the remaining populations live in unprotected, increasingly fragmented forests. When Nancy Merrick learned these startling facts in 2009, she decided it was past time to discover the extent to which chimpanzees are at risk across Africa and what can be done. Merrick had begun working with primates in 1972 as a young field assistant in Jane Goodall's famous Gombe camp. Like the rest of the world at the time, she was swept up in the excitement of discovering the remarkable world of chimpanzees--their ability to fashion tools, their dazzling intelligence, and their complex relationships and societies. From that moment on, her human-centered worldview shifted, and she became a devoted advocate for our closest genetic relatives. When Merrick returns to Africa decades later, she's alarmed by how much has changed. Human activity, such as agriculture and logging, has encroached on natural habitats throughout equatorial Africa, endangering chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos. In an effort to understand what we can do to save great apes, Merrick connects with primatologists and conservationists who are trying to protect the last great forests. Visits to some of Africa's parks, sanctuaries, and expanding agricultural areas reveal the urgency of the problems and the inspiration of the people leading the search for solutions. Along the way, Merrick demonstrates that the best hope for chimps and other great apes lies in connecting conservation to humanitarian efforts, ensuring a healthy future for animals and humans alike. Among Chimpanzees is at once an inspiring chronicle of Merrick's personal search to learn how chimps are faring across Africa and in captivity, a crucial eyewitness account of a very critical period in their existence, and a rousing call for us to join the efforts to be a voice for the chimpanzees, before it's too late.
And a Dog Called Fig is the story of one writer's life with dogs (including a frisky new puppy), how they are uniquely ideal companions for building a creative life, and some delightful tales about dogs and their famous writers
Into my writer's isolation will come a dog, to sit beside my chair or to lie on the couch while I work, to force me outside for a walk, and suddenly, although still lonely, this writer will have a companion.
Angel Animals is a collection of stories by ordinary people about the spiritual lessons and truths they've learned from animals. Part one focuses on what angel animals teach people about relationships. Part two covers how angel animals provide lessons on handling life's challenges. In part three angel animals impart lessons on death, dying, and the afterlife. Whether these animals are daily companions or creatures observed in nature, they demonstrate gratitude, survival, courage, and forgiveness. The stories are touching, humorous, and remarkably inspiring. Each one includes a meditation or a question or comment to help readers carry the spirit of these angel animals into their own lives.
Some of these extraordinary true stories will make you smile and others will bring tears to your eyes, but each one will open your heart to new revelations of love in its many forms and shapes. Dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, birds, rabbits, snakes, dolphins, llamas -- the animals in this book reveal compassion, teach hope and forgiveness, or serve as a barometer to measure feelings. After reading just one of these stories, you will observe the animals in your own path with new eyes and find yourself awakening to deeper, and often startling, spiritual insights.
While dogs get more credit, cats have perennially proven themselves to be every bit the equal of their canine brethren as humankind's best friend. Angel Cats, inspired by a contest authors Allen and Linda Anderson ran to find the "Best Angel Cat" story, shows the often extraordinary ways in which these fascinating creatures have responded to human need. Stories feature Paprika, the kitten that may have saved a little Hungarian girl from Russian soldiers; the cat who helped a woman make friends in a hostile workplace; the cats who acted as "pacemakers" for a sleeping woman with undiagnosed heart problems; and many more. Interwoven with the stories are brief meditations as well as fun facts about cats, such as that cats purr at the same frequency that increases bone density and strengthens and heals fractures. An "Ask Cuddles" section answers frequently asked questions about the fabulous feline.
With a well-earned reputation as man's -- as well as woman's -- best friend, dogs have an uncanny ability to sense exactly what their human friends need. Gathered from thousands of stories Allen and Linda Anderson have received, as well as their own experiences, Angel Dogs demonstrates that dogs are not only faithful companions but also spiritual guides. Stories include the four-legged speech therapist who helped a scared boy find his voice; the dog who came "special delivery" through the mail at just the right moment in a family's life; the dog who helped guard Air Force One; dogs from the canine corps; service dogs; and many others. The book also details new scientific findings on how dogs can save lives, sniff out cancerous tumors, and warn epileptics of impending seizures. Each story is followed by a short meditation that helps readers focus on the messages of love that dogs bring to their lives.
David Frei's heartwarming collection of stories about the therapy dogs in his life and the people whom they touch, Angel on a Leash celebrates the "ministry" that Frei shares with his wife, Chaplain Cherilyn Frei, the director of spiritual care at the Ronald McDonald House of New York.Frei may be the most recognizable face and name in the dog sport, as "the Voice of Westminster," the famous New York kennel club for which he has worked for the past two decades, but his true passion in dogs is therapy work. In the book's eighteen chapters, Frei retells the stories of the everyday miracles he's witnessed his therapy dogs perform over hundreds of trips to their favorite places. Currently in his second generation of therapy dogs, Frei gives his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "Angel" and Brittany "Grace" all the credit for the life-altering work they do cheering up ailing children at Morgan Stanley's Children's Hospital, spending time with recovering patients at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital, and placing a paw in the hand of world-weary veterans at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. Never sappy or sentimental, Frei's writing style is straightforward and honest with a swiftness that keeps the reader turning pages (and wiping tears). Beyond the inspiring storytelling, the book also offers practical advice to potential therapy dog handlers about how to get a dog certified with a proper registry, the responsibilities that accompany therapy work, and the importance of community involvement. Frei's association with Westminster yielded the formation of a nonprofit organization called Angel on a Leash (the book's namesake), which Frei was the key founder. Although the organization is now a separate entity from its famous "parent," Best in Show winners of Westminster have frequently retired from the show ring into the realm of therapy work, receiving Frei's encouragement and guidance. Among the many exquisite moments captured in the book's photography section are portraits of Rufus, the Colored Bull Terrier; James, the English Spring Spaniel; and Uno, the Beagle, all supreme victors of the famous show, spending time with children on therapy visits.