Description: Humans have lived alongside dogs for millennia, but there's more to them than just tail wags, a love for car rides and chasing tennis balls. It is not surprising that there are so many weird facts and fascinating tales: - A recent poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages for their pets on answering machines - Before the law requiring pet owners in New York City to scoop up after their dogs, about 40 million pounds of doggie doodoo were left on the streets each year - Laika, a stray dog from Russia, was the first living creature to enter orbit on the Soviet's Sputnik 2 - Dogs really can sense when a person is about to die - Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Pompeii found the remains of a dog laying across a child, apparently trying to protect the youngster from the volcano's deadly eruption - In Oklahoma, you'd better restrain yourself from making faces at a dog--you could be fined, arrested or even jailed - The only dog that does not have a pink tongue is the chow; that breed's tongue is jet black - The fastest dog, the greyhound, can reach speeds of up to 44 miles (70 kilometers) per hour And much more...
Brief description: Wendy Pirk has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. As a child, she dreamed of being a veterinarian but decided instead to pursue a degree in Ecological Anthropology. She is a serious environmentalist and has worked for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. She is currently a writer and editor and has several books about animals to her credit. Wendy has a two dog and two cat family...oh, and kids as well. She solemnly swears that she has never, nor will she ever dress a dog in a frilly pink tutu. But she lives in a winter city, so maybe doggie coats and booties And one of the dogs is handicapped, so he has a wheelchair. But that's it. Really. She would also like to own a sheep to mow her lawn so she doesn't have to...well, she'd actually like to have a whole herd of sheep to rent out to her friends and neighbors! And maybe a donkey, too, because they're so cute!