A Small Furry Prayer
Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life
By Steven Kotler
October 2010
$24.00
320 pp
5.5 x 8.25 in
Hardcover
By Steven Kotler
Steven Kotler, author of the surfing classic West of Jesus, peers through the lenses of science and spirituality to examine the world of dog rescue, and what dogs can teach us about how to live and love.
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, a 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 of dogs may be the best way to uncover the truth about what it really means to be human.
Advance Praise for A Small Furry Prayer.
“I read this compelling book for hours and found myself completely hooked as I am sure any reader who loves dogs will be. Steven Kotler captures something essential about dogs and humans in a way I have not see anyone else do, and in a voice that conveys with growling intensity the life he and his wife share with a pack of misfit dogs. For anyone who loves dogs, Small Furry Prayer is bound to be inspiring.” —Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of Dogs Never Lie about Love and When Elephants Weep
Reviews for 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. Read full review.
“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. Read full review.
“[An] insightful mediation on the relationship between humans and animals that explores the realms of neuroscience, anthropology, and spirituality.”—Hudson Valley magazine Chronogram. Read full review.
“Kotler’s tale—part obsession, part inquiry, part adventure—serves up a well-rounded meal of soul-searching and psychology.”—Psychology Today
A great interview with Steven on KSFR (Santa Fe NPR) show “Radio Café”
“This is a very special book.”—The Hudson Valley News
Desert Heart Reads Blog
San Francisco’s Jewish News Weekly.
“Like most dog-related stories, Kotler’s tale is sweet and oftentimes heartbreaking. But Kotler doesn’t indulge in sentimental prose, and he’s a frequently hilarious writer.”—Seattle Weekly. Read review.
BARK magazine is going to include Small Furry Prayer in their top 5 best books of the year.
“With nuggets of wisdom and insight, “A Small Furry Prayer” moves seamlessly across a challenging psychological and physiological landscape with passion and persistence.” —Seattle Kennel Club.
Nice blog review here.
A playlist from Matt Sharpe on largehearted boy.
“There’s no sap here, but Kotler’s honest, heartfelt stories will have you laughing through your tears. This book is a must-read.”—Mother Nature Network. See article.
“A beautiful, deep encounter with the world of animal rescue on both a grand and personal scale. A SMALL FURRY PRAYER is not only for dog lovers, but for everyone who cherishes life and enjoys a good adventure. It’s delightful, funny, profound, sad, eye-opening and powerful. It’s about discovering what it means to be human.”—Psychology Today
A Small Furry Prayer reviewed in Bark e-newsletter.
Kotler (West of Jesus), owner of Rancho de Chihuahua, an organization that treats dogs with special needs, offers a joyous, almost spiritual chronicle of his journey from L.A.–based apartment dweller to owner of a dog sanctuary in New Mexico. He introduces readers to Leo, a destined-to-be-euthanized German shepherd who becomes his first rescue; Gidget, a dancing dog with mange and epilepsy; and Ahab, who appears to contemplate suicide while balanced on a three-story ledge. Kotler lays bare the challenges he and his wife face as their brood grows and his attachment to his pack grows: he suffers separation anxiety on an out-of-town trip and is devastated when placing rehabilitated dogs in loving homes. His nurturing is returned ten-fold when a rescue saves his life and, when he is taken ill, a dog vomits in his mouth to--as he believes--nourish him. Brimming with humor, gratitude, and grace, this is a remarkable story. "—Publishers Weekly, starred Review
“Kotler seamlessly blends a history of Chimayo, a well-articulated understanding of how humans and dogs coevolved, and background on animal welfare efforts in this country with his witty, sharp-edged, and rewarding reflections on life. Kotler defiantly proclaims his love of Chihuahuas (he's hilarious), then shatters our hearts and ends by laying down a real ethical challenge. Highly recommended not only for dog lovers but for readers of memoir, biology, and anthropology and seekers generally.” —Library Journal, starred review.
“Reflecting on the writings of mystics, philosophers, and animal scientists as varied as St. Francis, René Descartes, Claude Levi-Strauss, and Elizabeth Hess, Kotler elevates this tale about saving dogs to a story about human stewardship of life. Full of well-told stories, Kotler’s book will please many animal advocates.”—Booklist.
“Kotler offers a touching account of Chihuahua adventures alongside interesting blurbs on the history of pet ownership, canine ethology, the semantics of the dog-adoption process, homosexuality in nature and the intricate science behind canine domestication. A heartfelt example of humanitarianism at work.”—Kirkus Reviews
