SMALL FURRY PRAYER

DOG RESCUE AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

ABOUT A SMALL FURRY PRAYER

STEVEN KOTLER was forty years old and facing an existential crisis—which made him not too different from just about every other middle-aged guy in Los Angeles. Then he met Joy— a woman devoted to the cause of canine rescue. “Love me, love my dogs,” was her rule, and not having any better ideas, Steven took it to heart. Together with their pack of eight dogs—then fifteen dogs, then twenty-five dogs, then, well, they lost count—Steven and Joy bought a tiny farm in a tiny town in rural New Mexico and started the Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary, a dog sanctuary for dogs with special needs.
WHILE DOG RESCUE is one of the largest underground movements in America, it is also one of the least understood. This insider look at the cult and culture of dog rescue begins with Kotler’s personal experience working with an ever-peculiar pack of dogs and becomes a much deeper investigation into exactly what it means to devote one’s life to the furry and the four-legged.
ALONG THE WAY, Kotler combs through every aspect of canine-human relations, from human’s long history with dogs through brand new research into the neuroscience of canine companionship, in the end discovering why living in a world made of dog may be the best way to uncover the truth about what it really means to be human.

Reviews of A Small Furry Prayer:

“This gritty journey into ‘a world made of dog’ is unlike any dog story you’ve ever read.”
- Christian Science Monitor
“Science, history, and a smattering of politics is interspersed with the continuing story of the shelter, its humans, the dogs and the occasional wildcat and coyote. It’s obvious that Steven Kotler is not only a very competent writer, he is quite an educated person. Dare I say brilliant? Anyone who is interested in the human-animal connection, the bond that we feel with our dogs, will find this book fascinating. It’s almost a guarantee that you will look at your dog in a totally different way.”
- Examiner.com
“Part Hunter Thompson part Carlos Castaneda but mostly so original that it’s difficult to peg…This is a delightful, rich read sure to take you to unexpected places and beyond.”
- Bark magazine
“Kotler’s tale—part obsession, part inquiry, part adventure—serves up a well-rounded meal of soul-searching and psychology.”
- Psychology Today
“A thought-provoking inquiry…Are dogs special? Are humans? Or are we just special to each other because we care for them and they for us? Read this book, slowly, and decide for yourself.”
- New Mexico Magazine
“A thought-provoking inquiry…Are dogs special? Are humans? Or are we just special to each other because we care for them and they for us? Read this book, slowly, and decide for yourself.”
- New Mexico Magazine

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