Chernak McElroy, Susan. Animals as Guides for the Soul. New York, NY: The Ballantine Publishing Group (1998)

McElroy shares heart-warming stories about animals, and their amazing abilities to guide us in the development of our souls. These writings illustrate the countless lessons people can learn from animals, and appreciate the joy and unconditional love they bring to our lives. Great book!

Chernak McElroy, Susan. Animals as Teachers & Healers. New York, NY: Ballantine Books (1997)

Of these two books by Susan Chernak McElroy, this one's my favorite. She shares her story along with many other true testaments about animals who have touched the lives of other people. There are many heroic animals in this book. The author eloquently writes about these heroic animals and the special bond they have with those they come in contact with. Animal lovers will truly enjoy this book. "Two paws up".

Steiger, Brad and Hansen Steiger, Sherry. Animal Miracles. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation (1999)

This book consists of 50 inspirational stories about extraordinary, heroic feats performed by animals. These stories truly make one think about animals and their intellect. Whether they were acting on instinct, or through divine intervention, they are nothing short of miraculous.

Herriot, James. The Best of James Herriot. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press (1982)

The subtitle of this book is Favourite Memories of a Country Vet. James Herriot captures the soul essence of animals in these fun stories. He shares stories about cats, dogs, cows, goats, horses, pigs, and sheep. Young and old alike will want to settle down with a nice cup of  English tea, and get drawn into the world of James Herriot. Note: This book may be difficult to find. Amazon.com does carry several of James Herriot's books. If you are unable to locate this exact book, any one of James Herriot's books are a pleasure to read. Click on James Herriot to find a list of available books through Amazon.com.

Canfield, Jack; Hansen, Mark Victor; Becker, D.V.M., Marty and Kline, Carol. Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc. (1998)

Each book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series has wonderful, inspirational stories. If you haven't picked up this book to add to your collection, you're missing out. The stories are about pets as teachers, healers heroes and friends. Note: have tissues handy.

Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. Dogs Never Lie About Love. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press (1997)

The emotional world of dogs is a controversial subject. I choose to believe that dogs and all animals have the capability to experience and express emotions. Masson discusses the emotions of dogs, how humans interact with dogs, and what we can do to better understand our dogs and how to communicate with them more clearly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Coudert, Jo. The Good Shepherd. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing (1998)

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am very fond of the German shepherd breed. I was drawn to this book purely because it was a story about a German shepherd who was a therapy dog. Once I started reading this book, I realized that this dog, Grizzly, was more than a therapy dog. He was an extremely gifted and special dog. Grizzly and his 15 year old owner, Jeremy, were inseparable until the day his teenaged owner died of cancer. This story will tug at your heart strings. Even if you're not a "German shepherd lover", you'll appreciate Grizzly and his gift to teach and heal others.

Marshall Thomas, Elizabeth.  The Hidden Life of Dogs. London, England: Orion Books Ltd. (1995)

The premise of this book is about dog consciousness. It all starts when the author spends six months in Europe taking care of her friend's Siberian husky, Misha. Misha has a penchant for roaming long distances. The author tracks this and is able to determine that Misha has developed a home range of approximately 130 square miles. Later on, this range is expanded considerably. Marshall Thomas takes the reader on a virtual tour of what it's like to live a day in the life of a dog. She provides some very interesting observations about the knowledge and survival skills of canines.

Schoen, D.V.M., Allen M. and Proctor, Pam. Love, Miracles, and Animal Healing. New York, NY: Fireside (1995)

This was the first book I read when I began my studies in Healing Touch for Animals. I rate this book as excellent. The authors provide well documented cases of animals suffering from various illnesses, and how the integration of conventional and complementary healing techniques brought the animals back to good health. This is not just a book on animal medicine, it teaches us about how one's love for a pet can save that animal's life. We learn to do this by better understanding  our pet's needs, by building a deeper emotional bond with our pets, and by performing easy, energy-based techniques to provide comfort for our pets. As Robert B. Hillman, D.V.M., Senior Clinician at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine said in his review, "This book should offer new hope to animal lovers when conventional medicine fails to solve their animals' problems."   

Kowalski, Gary. The Souls of Animals. Walpole, NH: Stillpoint Publishing (1999)

Another controversial topic is whether or not animals have souls. I choose to believe they do have souls. Kowalski shares his beliefs and experiences with animal spirituality. He casts a light on animal intelligence and their ability to feel and express a wide range of emotions. If you have ever asked the question, "Do animals have souls?", then you should read this book. You will have a better appreciation of your companion animal, as well as a better understanding of your own soul center.

Moussaieff, Jeffrey Masson and McCarthy, Susan. When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals. New York, NY: Dell Publishing (1995)

For those who are seeking a book that cites scientific studies and anecdotal stories on the emotions of animals, you will find this book to be of importance. The authors have researched animal emotions, and have obtained field notes from biologists, ethologists, animal trainers and animal behaviorists on the complex range of emotions that animals feel. After reading this book, you will have a new way of viewing the animal kingdom's capacity to express emotions.