Tails

Tails delves into the curious nature of the bond between two distinctly different creatures: human and animal. How is it that humans have been blessed with four-legged companions that are so willing to accept us unconditionally and touch our lives in ways that help us be better people?

Dr. Slack draws from his 35 years of veterinary practice on two continents, Australia and America, to explore this wonderful mystery of human-animal bonding. He writes how his clients’ pets touched their lives — the warmth of a cat curled in the lap of an elderly lady, the laughter of a latchkey child at play with his dog, a pet helping a boy survive the chaos of an alcoholic parent — the many magical ways the bond between us brings joy into our human world.

He reflects on how his own pets, Shilo and Bailee, taught him the art of living in the moment and about how our bonds become a great source of comfort at all stages of life, for both species. Through our pets, we humans can learn the secret of how to be our best selves — for all those we love — human and animal.

“Tails is a powerful and affecting read. If you love dogs or cats, I doubt you will be able to put it down once you start reading it. Every story is made easily accessible to us non-veterinarians through Dr. Slack’s perceptive telling of the profound life moments we experience with our pets – oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes emotionally poignant, but always engaging with a sly linguistic wit.” – Jim Sayles, Spokane, WA

Robert Slack spent his boyhood in Helena, Montana. At age fourteen, his family moved to Hawaii where his father, Howard Slack, became Hawaii's first federal veterinarian at the time of statehood in 1959. After graduating from Kailua High School on Oahu, Bob attended Washington State University graduating with honors from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1971. Pursuing his passion for adventure, he moved to Australia to begin his veterinary career, first in Sydney, and later in Perth. After several years abroad, Bob returned to the U.S. to join a small animal practice in Spokane, Washington. Mid career he returned to college to pursue his interest in human behavioral science, and earned a degree in counseling.The blending of these two careers, both full time in veterinary medicine and part time in counseling, has given Bob a rich and unique perspective in writing this book on the miracle of the human-animal bond.