During the First World War, President Woodrow Wilson bought a flock of sheep to trim the White House grounds to save money on groundskeeping. One of the sheep, called Old Ike, even became a public phenomenon for his ornery disposition and his penchant for chewing tobacco. Included here are hundreds of well-researched accounts of the fascinating animals that have played vital roles throughout history. Featured animals include Able, who flew on a space mission; Bayou, Salvador Dalí’s ocelot companion; and G.I. Joe, a pigeon who saved more than 100 people during World War II. These and many other stories detail the unexpected contributions of our animal companions in settings of war, space travel, stage and screen. The book is organized alphabetically by the given name of each animal, and entries feature compelling factual descriptions in a storytelling format.

The late Ann C. Paietta was the director of the Essex Free Library in Essex, Vermont, and the author of several books and library-related articles.

Jean Kauppila is an avid researcher and animal advocate currently living in Washington state.

Ann C. Paietta and Jean Kauppila
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 215
Bibliographic Info: 83 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7381-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3553-8
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction   1

Subject Entries   5

Bibliography   203
Index   207