No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian [Paperback]

Robert T. Sharp D.V.M. D.V.M. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2005

For the millions of animal enthusiasts in America, here's a heartwarming collection of tales by veterinarian Robert Sharp that relate the joys and misadventures of being an animal doctor in small-town U.S.A. With humor and compassion, No Dogs in Heaven? portrays the great and not-so-great characteristics of human and animal nature, all infused by a lovable veterinarian's belief that indeed, there are dogs in heaven. Included is the telling of Sharp's first day as a rookie veterinarian nervously preparing to inject a needle into a one-ton Holstein bull; finding a rash on a cute puppy whose lovely young owner bared her breasts to ask his opinion of a similar skin ailment; treating a vicious dog whose violent owner had stabbed it with a knife, only to treat the same dog two years later—now a sweet and gentle pet of an adoptive family; and caring for a kitten struck by a car who survived amputations of both right legs, somehow learned to walk, earned the name "Lefty," and was taken in by a family who loved him. In the vein of James Herriot's compelling stories, this charming, eccentric, and comic book is sure to strike a chord with readers everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What happens when a young vet from a small-animal practice in the big city (in this case, Chillicothe, Ohio) buys a smalltown, mixed-animal veterinary practice from its retiring owner? He quickly finds himself treating ornery bulls and drunken pigs, delivering calves by C-section, stitching up horses and shaving cats who've had buckets of paint spilled on them. He also learns that the "three requirements to practice in the country ... are to be able to drive a truck like a maniac, rope cattle in the dark, and drive a truck like a maniac." In this collection of a few dozen colloquial anecdotes about veterinary life, Sharp brings wit and warmth to his portrayals of the animals and people of Hillsboro, Ohio. He tells of the eccentric old woman who cared for the stray dogs that no one else wanted, the goat who escaped from his pen and eluded capture for weeks, and the cat that someone left in a bag at his office with a note reading: "Dear Compashient sic Vet, this Please do something with / cat-cure it or kill it! THANK YOU!" (The cat, happily, was cured.) Good-natured, a little rambling, but never long-winded, these tales are as much for the fan of smalltown living as they are for the animal lover, and Sharp himself is a winning raconteur.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Rookie veterinarian Sharp decided he wanted to be his own boss and to own his own practice. Although knowing little of large-animal veterinary work, he purchased a country practice from a retiring veterinarian and plunged into farmwork. Sharp regales the reader with tales from his daily life. One group of stories follows the author during his first weeks on the job, as he learns the back roads on his way to calf deliveries and treats a pen of "sick" pigs that turned out to be drunk on fermented feed. Another selection of stories involves dealing with animal owners, who often need as much treatment as their charges, such as the young girl who lifted her top to ask if the circular lesion on her breast was the same as her puppy's ringworm--it was. Once-in-a-lifetime cases fill another section, like the box turtle with a crushed shell, mended with the Bondo Sharp was using to repair a boat. These often amusing tales should find a wide audience. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786715243
• ISBN-13: 978-0786715244
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Animals? Read "No Dogs in Heaven?", January 15, 2006

By 

Sig "reprosecy" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian (Paperback)

This book was great light reading. Working for 12 vets, I can relate to his adventures somewhat and they ran the gamut of emotions. It was well written and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves animals and loves reading about them. No Dogs in Heaven? How silly can anyone be to think they are not there!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, January 8, 2007

By 

J. Cole (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian (Paperback)

This is a must have book for anyone who has pets. Some of his experiences are quite comical and others are heart touching. Very well written. You will want to share it with your friends. I highly recommend!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read!, September 11, 2005

By 

Dr. Shawn Messonnier "The Natural Vet" (Plano, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian (Paperback)

I always enjoy reading true stories about the profession. While James Herriott is best known for this genre, it's nice to see other doctors with a flair for writing also sharing their many interesting experiences. Dr. Sharp has written a neat book that pet owners and veterinarians are sure to enjoy. The stories are light-hearted and ones veterinarians everywhere can certainly relate to as they read. It's simply pure fun!

Shawn Messonnier DVM
Author of the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs