Heartfelt Connections

Heartfelt Connections, by Anne Beall explores the human/animal bond. What animals can do for us, and what we do for them.

I had the honor of authoring the book’s foreword. I point out that most people in America have a pet. We make that choice, despite the cost, the responsibility,  and sometimes inconvenience of having a pet (and most pet owners have more than a single pet). No one forces to bring an animal into their lives. There must be a reason. That’s the essence of what Beall explores in Heartfelt Connections. Why do we make this choice? That’s what Beall explores.

Not only is Beall the author, she’s a researcher – and the result of her research regarding how we (as pet owners) feel about the bond is fascinating.

Steve Dale’s cat Ricky

I also had the opportunity of telling a very personal story for me of how Ricky the cat changed my life. I may never have a connection with a pet again as I had with Ricky. He was my heart.

So, it is only ironic that he suffered  premature death of heart disease, feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Disgusted that there was then no cure or effective treatment, I began the Ricky Fund with the non profit funder of cat health studies, the Winn Feline Foundation. We’ve raised well over $100,000, and those dollars have made a difference. But there is still much to do so other cats don’t suffer this all too common fate.