Rethinking Rescue: Dog Lady and the Story of America’s Forgotten People and Pets – Carol Mithers
Rethinking Rescue boldly confronts two of the biggest challenges of our time—poverty and homelessness—in asking the question: Who deserves the love of a pet? In Los Angeles’s most underserved communities, Lori Weise is known as the Dog Lady, the woman who’s spent decades caring for people in poverty and the animals that love them. Long before anyone else, Weise grasped that animal and human suffering are inextricably connected and created a new rescue narrative: an enduring safety net empowering pet owners and providing resources to reduce the number of pets coming into shelters. Through captivating storytelling and investigative reporting, Carol Mithers examines the consequences of bias within this overwhelmingly white movement, where an overemphasis on placing animals in affluent homes disregards pet owners in poverty. Weise’s innovative and ultimately triumphant efforts revealed a better way. As cities across the country witness some of the worst housing crises in history, and as the population of unhoused people and pets continues to skyrocket, Carol Mithers offers a story of compassion and hope in Rethinking Rescue. We must draw your attention to how accomplished a writer Carol Mithers is, not only is Rethinking Rescue an enjoyable read, Carol also has created a thought-provoking book, plus she is a delightful engaging guest.
The Inner Life of Cats – The Science and Secrets of Our Mysterious Feline Companions – Thomas McNamee
“Billy, my cross-eyed Siamese cat had an unusual habit. Before he would settle in to enjoy a nice meal of whatever ridiculously expensive gourmet cat food I provided, he would clamber up to the top of a dresser in my bedroom. Once perched on top, he would skillfully reach down with a paw and open the top draw. Then, he would peek inside and carefully snatch hold of a pair of my underpants. Once secured on his claws, he would transfer the garment to his mouth. From there, he would almost bounce down from his perch and head for his food dish with Marks & Spencer’s* finest dangling from his clenched teeth. When he arrived at said dish, he would carefully arrange my undies around the edge and finally proceed to eat, with what I hope was a satisfied glint in his sadly misaligned eyes. This is a story I couldn’t wait to share with Thomas McNamee.” Says Norman B. It makes perfect sense, after all, McNamee is the author of The Inner Life of Cats – The Science and Secrets of Our Mysterious Feline Companions. With a naturalist’s eye combined with humor and a warm heart, Thomas brings the always wild, yet domesticated cat into delightful and insightful focus. Thomas McNamee joins Life Elsewhere to talk about his definitive book on the hidden world of felines and hopefully explain the curious antics of Billy, the cross-eyed Siamese cat.
