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Incredible Kratu is the true inspirational story of an unlikely pair, an autistic woman with ADHD and a dog born to guard. She rescued him at a few weeks old, but it was Kratu who rescued her, helping her to heal, becoming her best friend and allowing much needed change to happen. Tess Eagle Swan had run away from home aged sixteen and, by her late twenties, had already survived violence and drug addiction. Her life had been traumatic and troubled. Tess was diagnosed at 54 with Autism, a welcome relief having given and lost so much of herself in her undiagnosed former life through drugs, violence and abuse of many kinds; finally, she understood herself. She was different and that was okay. She hadn’t understood people, which had nearly cost her, her life on many occasions. Rescuing several dogs with a friend in Romania led her to a scruffy, little grey puppy in a dangerous camp in Transylvania. His name was Kratu. Their lives changed forever that day. She had no idea how much caring for Kratu would transform her life. The more she mastered how to look after him, the more he gave back. She learnt to accept herself. Scars of the past were fading. Together their bond deepened and grew. They became inseparable. They worked hard and trained hard. Not without its challenges as Kratu had his own
thoughts on how things should be done. His inspired ‘freestyle agility run’ brought him worldwide fame after appearing at Crufts for ‘Woodgreen Pets Charity’ rescue dog team. He was the peoples champion of Crufts. When Ozzy Man Reviews posted ‘The Goodest Boy Ever’ it went viral, with 1.4 million views! Tess found with Kratu, for the first time in her life, someone who understood her, didn’t judge her and accepted her diversity with unconditional love. Learning together, connecting and developing this intense animal/ human bond, he took her on adventures that brought her the missing self-confidence and self-esteem that she had battled with her whole life. He became her teacher, guide and mentor. It is a story about conflict and trauma, injury and recovery, psychological wounds and spiritual restoration. But far more than that, it is a story about the love between a woman and her dog, and how, together, they healed each other’s souls, found strength in each other, overcame fears and challenges against all odds. It inspires, it’s the refusal to accept limits on love, ability and hope against overwhelming odds. It goes from happy, funny and moving, to sadness and pain. A deeply moving, true life portrait of a unique inspirational remarkable dog and his relationship with his autistic adopter Tess.
Bobby & Bubba’s Small Adventures is a delightful, illustrated book written to be shared with and enjoyed by families together – from babies to toddlers, to independent readers. Written by former MP Anthony Coombs, father to Alexander, and grandfather to British bulldog brothers Bobby & Bubba, the book is packed with short stories that can be read cover to cover or dipped into for story-times and bedtimes! Partly inspired by real-life events, Anthony swapped speech writing for children’s
stories, having been hit by the idea during one of their daily walks with the charismatic duo. Each charming chapter is a story in its own right, following the British Bulldogs on their hilarious adventures, meeting new people, getting up to mischief, and enjoying life. They each end with a gentle ‘moral of the story’ or ‘wise words of wisdom’, which are designed to encourage conversation among families.
In a pet dog you have your own personal trainer, your most loyal companion, your friendliest welcome, your uncritical friend. Yes, there are the muddy paws, the walks in the rain, the wet fur and the chewed footwear ... but let’s look at the big picture! In a tribute to Man’s Best Friend, Anna Levin’s delightful short poem is a homage to our pet dogs, each line illustrated with a moving photograph of someone’s
mutt: funny, heart-wrenching, loving, exasperating and paying back their owners a hundred times over. Anna Levin is a journalist and author with a special interest in people’s connections with the natural world. A former Section Editor with BBC Wildlife Magazine, she has worked for a range of publications and environmental organisations and is caption-writer for Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Have you ever thought about giving up work to escape into the wide, blue yonder? Jackie and Mark Lambert did just that. They rented out their house and took off in a caravan with ‘The Fab Four’ - their four Cavapoos (Cavalier/ Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby, and Lani. With windsurf boards strapped to their roof, they struck south for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left… According to The Spectator, Romania is “Europe’s most overlooked holiday destination.”
According to everyone else, it was somewhere where they would be robbed, scammed, kidnapped by gypsies, eaten by bears or attacked by wild dogs and wolves – if they managed to avoid the floods and riots. Based on Jackie’s travel blog, www.worldwidewalkies. com Dogs ‘n’ Dracula is the true story of their third year on wheels with Kismet and ‘Big Blue’ – their trusty tow vehicle (and toy box) – a Hyundai iLoad panel van.
