Customer Reviews

Sleeping With Angels: A Veterinarian's Sacred Bond of Animal Companionship

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Dr. Cunningham takes us on an autobiographical journey with the animals in his life from four years of age through his ups and downs of veterinary school and into his work as a nighttime emergency vet. In a forthright style he describes the tribulations of his life as a young veterinary student trying to follow both the system and his conscience.

A gentle soul, with a level of devotion and love for his patients beyond the call, he regales us with stories about "One Step" the one legged cockatiel, and tugs at our hearts us with the story of his beloved Boston terrier "Pug."

This is a great book for all animal lovers, easy to read and hard to put down, I finished it the afternoon that I got it, with warmth in my heart and tears in my eyes. Thank you Dr. Cunningham!

It appears the author himself gave one of the 5 star reviews. I found this book to be lacking in content that I found interesting or moving to the reader. The author does express a deep love for his pets, however this isn't a book about veterinary medicine. I got the impression he doesn't enjoy being a veterinarian. Little is said about his life working as a vet and bonding with patients. As a veterinarian myself I was disappointed and would not give this to my clients. For anyone who has read this, veterinarians in general do not recommended letting FIV cats outside, nor purchasing pets from pet stores. The author also mentions some issues of anger management and for this reason my name has been altered a bit.

Thank you so much for giving me a copy of your book. I can't express how much it helped me with the loss of Sophie. Nobody really understands how difficult it is to lose an animal family member unless they have experienced the closeness that Sophie and I shared. Few people have as deep a relationship with their " pets" as we had. It helped me greatly to read about your love for your animals. It made me unde4rstand that I am not alone in loving my animals as much as I do and in the immense sorrow I have in losing them.

I read this book today. One of my dogs passed away a few weeks ago. This book made me smile, think of the many animals I've had in my life, get a little wistful and tear up, and it made me laugh. It also reminded me of the great difficulty I had in fitting my square peg thinking into the round hole of graduate school (on a completely different spectrum than animal care). To me, the book is a sort of limited journal into the experiences, thoughts and beliefs of the author, not just a testament to his love and care for animals. After reading this book, I looked for more on Amazon, and decided to add my review. I do recommend this book to animal lovers. And to people who feel gratitude for anyone or anything that ever aided them through a difficult time. It is a sweet testament to the joys in life, some of the pain, and it has left me feeling nostaligic and peaceful.

I also want to say that I think the veterinarian who gave the book one star is missing the point. I don't think the author doesn't like being a veterinarian, I think he doesn't like the arrogance and condesending attitudes of people in positions of authority, and the way people in power can discount other people. Throughout the book, the author explains that he has always wanted to be a vet and that he has worked for several years as a vet.

One of the best books I've ever read! Not only comforted me in a time of grief, but also made me laugh. Very talented author!

Dr. Cunningham,
It's hard for me to confront people with certain feelings because I don't want to make them or myself uncomfortable, but I wanted to let you know how deeply your book touched me. I sat up until I finished every last page and I wanted to read it again. It made me look at things a little bit closer and a lot different.
When it comes to animals I know I share the same feelings as you. Somehow it's like you reached into my mind and heart and said all the things I've never been able to find the words to say.
Your book has touched my heart more than I could ever explain. I know it will do the same for a countless amount of people.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing an incredible experience with me. I