Book Description (from the publisher)
A collection of heartwarming and inspiring true stories of animals who demonstrate virtuous characteristics, including courage, generosity, resourcefulness, and compassion.

Well-known animal writer and advocate Kristin von Kreisler is, says Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, "among the leaders in an exciting new field of scholarship where we find that not only do we not own an animal, but that giving up that concept allows a new and deeper kind of friendship." In this book, von Kreisler has collected hundreds of accounts of that friendship: true stories from all over the world of cats, dogs, bears, horses, and more whose behavior proves that animals are capable of strong feelings, and that they can, as a result, choose to behave in ways that are virtuous and moral.

Focusing on eight virtuous characteristics-compassion, loyalty, fortitude, courage, resourcefulness, sensitivity, cooperation, and generosity-von Kreisler combines moving anecdotes with fascinating interviews with scientists and animal experts to debunk the idea that the behavior of these creatures is driven only by instinct or self-interest. Animals, like people, can be hoodlums and troublemakers. But these real-life accounts show that they're also as capable of being "good" as we are. Bibliography.

About the Author
Author of The Compassion of Animals, Kristin von Kreisler is a staff writer for Reader's Digest, a columnist for Family Circle and Animal People, and author of more than two hundred articles on animals for publications, including Woman's Day, Parade, Guideposts, Glamour, and the Los Angeles Times. Von Kreisler works as an animal consultant for Pax TV's series It's a Miracle, and serves on the board of In Defense of Animals, a national animal welfare organization with 75,000 members.

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