For Bea: The Story of the Beagle Who Changed My Life » (Reprint)

Kristin von Kreisler is the author of Beauty in the Beasts and The Compassion of Animals. She is a member of the heroic pet committee of the North Shore Animal League, and cochairs a national campaign for In Defense of Animals.

A touching and humorous account of the author's fifteen years with her beagle, Bea, a refugee from an animal research laboratory.

Harried by recent upheavals in her life, the last thing Kristin von Kreisler needed was another dog. But when she came upon Bea, a scrawny beagle abandoned by the roadside, she couldn't turn away. Bea became part of her family, and changed it forever.

Disheveled, malnourished, and terrified of human contact, Bea seemed damaged beyond repair. But, gradually, she began to trust von Kreisler. After resisting her touch again and again, the dog one day leaned in and nuzzled her neck. From that moment, Bea began to give love as well as receive it. With the typically unforgettable personality of a beagle, over the next decade and a half she taught von Kreisler the value of living utterly in the present, of meeting each day with a good bark, and of moving forward in life without being dragged down by past grief.

Written with rare eloquence and down-to-earth wit, this memoir of Bea and von Kreisler's fifteen-year love story will charm "beaglers" and touch the heart of anyone who has ever loved a dog.

Library Journal

While on a walk with the family German shepherd, journalist von Kreisler (Beauty in the Beasts) found a little beagle cowering by a culvert and promptly took the pathetic creature home. Soon after finding a tattoo on the dog's ear, she learned that it was an escaped or released laboratory animal. The beagle, later named Bea, was in poor physical and emotional condition, but von Kreisler was determined to earn her trust and make up for the inhumane treatment that she suffered. Their story alternates between joyous and deflating moments as Bea slowly begins to live the life that she was intended as a loved family companion. The pupil was very much the teacher, with von Kreisler learning as much about love and caring as Bea learned about trust and understanding. The narrative ends with two brief chapters highlighting the reality of animal research and then outlining some of the steps interested readers can take to help remedy the situation. There is also a lengthy recommended reading list. A worthy addition to collections of true dog stories and reminiscences, this is recommended for young adults and for libraries where pets and animal rights issues are popular.-Edell M. Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., WI Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.