Tails of the City: Confessions of a Manhattan Pet Vet - Hardcover

DeVincentis, Tom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0979338433 ISBN 13: 9780979338434

Publisher: G Editions, 2008

Synopsis

Whether a dog, cat, horse, or bird, a pet is a wonderful source of companionship. In Tails of the City, New York City veterinarian Tom DeVincentis reveals his observations on the amazing bonds forged between his furry and feathered patients and their owners. DeVincentis also shares personal stories about the pets he has loved over the years. Often humorous but always sincere, every tale is a heart-warming lesson on how to love unconditionally.

About this title

About the Author

Upon graduating from Ohio State University, Tom DeVicentis, D.V.M., moved to New York City, where he has been a practicing veterinarian for over twenty-five years. He lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his two dogs, Kiki and Billie.

Review

A Perfect Place for Man and Beast

The deep, loving bond between pets and humans is the theme of Mr. DeVincentis's new book, "Tails of the City: Confessions of a Manhattan Pet Vet" (Glitterati, 2008). He makes painfully clear that an essential part of his job is helping his clients say goodbye to their animals. "To love a pet means we bear witness to the full circle of life," he writes. "We nurture and discipline, cherish and protect, but finally the most important part of loving, the part that completes the cycle, is to let go."

He doesn't find it easy himself. "I sometimes don't follow my own advice," said Dr. DeVincentis, who reluctantly put down Billie, his 18-year-old bichon frisé, a few weeks ago. "I shouldn't have waited so long. She wasn't enjoying her life. She couldn't see or hear."

Meanwhile, he has Kiki, his late mother's 6-year-old Shih Tzu, to take care of. "I kidnapped her from my stepfather in Florida," he said sheepishly. "I got permission from my stepbrother. My stepfather had moved into assisted living and was not giving her the attention she needed. I knew my mother would be spinning in her grave." -- New York Times, March 30, 2008

In his new book, Tails of the City: Confessions of a Manhattan Pet Vet, DeVincentis writes about the creatures he remembers best, from Emmany, the diamond-ring swallowing Cavalier King Charles spaniel, to a well-kept feline named Matisee.

Charmingly illustrated with watercolors and drawings by the late Bill Charmatz, Tails of the city began as a meditation on what it means to be a veterinarian in a metropolis with so many high-profile pet owners. In assembling his memories, DeVincentis realized something that will quickly be apparent to readers of his book: not just how important he is to so many of New York's pets but how important they are to him. -- Town & Country, February 2008

Edition details

• Publisher: G Editions
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0979338433
• ISBN 13: 9780979338434
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144