Love Is the Best Medicine

April 1, 2010
One vet, two dogs, two illnesses, two very different outcomesmeet Helen and Cleo. Helen is a ten-year-old black cocker spaniel mix. Apparently left to her own devices for most of her life, she's a survivor and an excellent judge of character. Fourteen-month-old Cleo is a miniature pinscher brought into this world by the finest of breeders and carefully handpicked by her devoted owner. Even at such a young age, Cleo possesses the gift of empathy, providing joy and comfort to everyone she meets. Serendipity and circumstance bring both into the care of Trout, andalthough neither dogs nor owners ever meetthe lives of everyone associated with these two fine animals are intrinsically entwined in a true story of tragedy, faith, and renewal. VERDICT Trout, a surgeon at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center and best-selling author of "Tell Me Where It Hurts", delivers his heartfelt account with a humorous introspection that reaffirms the extraordinary level of caring veterinarians can have for their patients. Highly recommended for lovers of animals of all shapes and sizes. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 11/1/09.]Judy Brink-Drescher, Molloy Coll., Rockville Ctr., NY

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
Veterinarian Trout offers up a surefire comfort read for Animal Planet fans with this intimate look at the lives of two dogs and the people who loved them. By focusing on the trials and tribulations of the older abandoned cocker spaniel Helena and the much-coddled miniature pincher puppy Cleo, he juxtaposes their lives and then brings them together in Boston at the Angell Animal Medical Center, where readers will find themselves in an animal ER. Deeply passionate about his work, he manages to write about his patients without anthropomorphizing. The focus here is not clinical, but rather embraces the connections we make with our pets and even animals we barely know. This book is unusual in how it emphasizes how Cleo and Helena came to be in their owners lives, making the final outcome of their illnesses that much more poignant. (Yes, get ready for a tear or two.) Easily traversing the border between science and society, Trouts chronicle will appeal to readers from teens to grandparents.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)