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A Few Good Reads For Pet Lovers

www.joyfulpaws.com

This book, based on a true story, teaches compassion, how to be positive when facing adversity and to be a responsible pet owner.

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By KRISTEN LEVINE

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 16, 2008

Just four Christmas-shopping days remain on the calendar, and Hanukkah starts at sundown tonight. Don't forget Kwanzaa on Friday.

Need a last-minute gift for the pet lover in your life? Or perhaps you're looking forward to some time off, curled up with the cat for some recreational reading.

These books are my pick of the literary list for pet people.

"Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Grand Central Publishing; $19.99)

This delightful true story easily clawed its way to the top of my recommendations this year. You need not be a cat lover to appreciate Dewey's amazing story.

An abandoned kitten, he grew up to inspire a struggling single mother, transform a sleepy library and the inhabitants of its depressed Iowa farm town and, ultimately, capture the hearts of animal lovers around the world.

A must read!

"Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform" by Karin Winegar, photographs by Judy Olausen (Da Capo Press; $25.95)

Grab a tissue! You'll be crying — and laughing — as you read about the powers pets have to heal people.

"Saved" is a tribute to rescued animals who have profoundly affected their rescuers. The author shares nearly 30 stories from the continental United States.

Animal rescue, it demonstrates, is a reciprocal activity.

"Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know about Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need" by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris (Lyons Press; $16.95)

This instruction manual for families who wish to adopt or rescue a dog offers clear-cut advice. From choosing a shelter or rescue, what to do in the first 48 hours after your dog comes home, and integrating the new pooch into your home, it covers all the bases.

But the best advice of all is the Top 5 Tips for Adopting a Dog. Be sure to fetch this one off the shelf before you head to the animal shelter!

"See Spot Sit: 101 Illustrated Tips for Training the Dog You Love" by Carol Lea Benjamin (Skyhorse Publishing; $12.95)

First-time dog owners may be overwhelmed by the advice offered to them. The noted dog trainer, writer and illustrator breaks down the training process into manageable pieces with straightforward advice on all aspects. Her know-how is based on the most current research about the ways dogs think and communicate, and each tip is illustrated with a charming cartoon.

"See Spot Sit" is perfect for anyone who wants to better communicate with and understand his or her dog.

"The World is Your Litter Box: A How-To Manual for Cats" by Quasi the cat and Steve Fisher (Sterling; $9.95)

A message for cats is printed on the back cover: "This how-to manual reveals secrets to getting your human to do everything you want him or her to do. Take advantage of what you read and you will be the absolute master of your household, if not the entire universe!"

Chapters include "20 things cats don't have to do," "How to get away with unacceptable kitty behavior" and "How to wake your human from even the deepest sleep."

This humorous look into the feline psyche will please even the most finicky reader.

"Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog" by Barbara Gail Techel (Joyful Paw Prints; $14.95)

This award-winning children's book tells the true story of a female dachshund who gets around in a custom-fitted canine wheelchair after a spinal injury leaves her paralyzed. Frankie learns to keep on rolling despite her disability.

Her story teaches compassion, how to be positive when facing adversity and to be a responsible pet owner. Frankie brings a positive face to animals with disabilities. And one of the biggest lessons Frankie teaches is to be happy even when things don't go as planned and to be grateful for all the simple pleasures of life.

Frankie has been nominated for the Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame for her therapy work with children, the elderly, and hospital and hospice patients.

This book is available on the author's Web site, www.joyfulpaws.com.

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