Reviews

Customer Reviews
Angel Pawprints: Reflections On Loving and Losing a Canine Companion

Treasure Book, June 3, 2002
By A Customer
I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a beloved pet, or as a gift to someone who has. If you want to show you care without saying a word, give this book. In the privacy of their grief they will read this book and know that you understand what they are going through. Even more, they will know that many many people have come before us who have gone through the same hell.

i love this book, April 5, 2003
By A Customer
i have just bought a second copy to send to a friend who needs to say farewell to her beloved jack russell for awhile. the poems are beautiful…i especially love “the house dog’s grave”, which just might be my favorite poem of all time.
i use this book frequently to quote passages for friends who have lost their dogs…and i cannot read it without crying. it’s very comforting to know that people have felt the same way about their dogs over many years……beautiful, beautiful!

To love a dog is to change your life forever!, April 3, 2002
By A Customer
Dog lovers will enjoy this book, and will also enjoy “August Magic” and “Heart of the Savannah” by Veronica Anne Starbuck. These two must-reads will be treasured additions to your canine library!

Awesome Book, February 6, 2002
By     “lisa02”  (MA, United States)
I have been devastated by the loss of my dog, Angela, and this book has been tremendously helpful as I grieve. Because of the depth of feeling that the poetry and stories in the book convey, I felt that my own feelings were validated and I felt comforted in knowing that other people (including but not limited to well-known authors like Eugene O’Neil and Rudyard Kipling) were as attached to their dogs as myself–so attached that they felt the need to put their sorrow into words. The first time I read the book I could not stop crying since some of the words perfectly described my feelings of loss–and I still cry when I read the book! I also felt almost a sense of optimism in the midst of my extreme sorrow because many of writers express a belief or hope that they will be reunited with their dogs upon their own deaths. Two stories are particularly moving: The Rainbow Bridge and The Fourth Day. The photographs in this book are also awesome. The editor really did an incredible job. This book should be at the very top of your list if you are trying to deal with the death of your beloved dog. (In memory of Angela)

Cry and smile at the same time, March 25, 2001
By     “jimbatrob”  (Fremont, CA USA)
I’ve been searching for a particular poem for a long time. (“In Memoriam”, by Henry Willett). A reviewer referred to this poem and led me to the book that contained it. Every page is a gem.

Personal Reminiscence – A Key Element in Healing Grief, April 15, 2000
By     Deborah Antinori, author, “Journey Through Pet Loss”  (Basking Ridge, NJ)
This anthology of pet memorials by Laurel Hunt provides a wonderful way for those who have lost their animal companions to heal through identifying with others’ stories, memories and poems. When our pets die, we can feel so alone and even ashamed with the pain our deep feelings about losing a pet has engendered. Laurel’s wonderful book provides a medium for the bereaved pet owner to spend quiet contemplative moments and ease their sense of aloneness in the company of these heartfelt reflections. The selections can be read in any order suiting the reader’s interest peaked by the various titles or pictures. I find it particularly interesting that several of the memorials are from the late 1800’s to 1920’s. This speaks to me of the oral traditions of the past, where important stories are passed from one generation to the next. In our fast-paced, youth-oriented culture, these memorials of old invite us to take the time with our feelings of sadness and commune with wisdom across the ages about how to heal a grieving heart. I highly recommend this book and have included it in my own Pet Loss Resource Booklet which accompanies my award-winning audiobook on pet loss.

A powerful collection of love and tears., October 20, 1998
By     Dr. Wallace Sife  (Brooklyn, New York)
This review is from: Angel Pawprints: Reflections on Loving and Losing a Canine Companion (Paperback)
This is a surprisingly powerful book. The author has carefully selected the best stories and poems written in the last 100 years about the loss of a pet, and coupled them with museum-quality vintage photographs. Expecting this to be just another attractive anthology, this veteran pet bereavement counselor was suddenly drawn back into a vivid personal re-experiencing of all those emotions encountered during bereavement for his own beloved pet. Of course, not all the selections are wonderful, but the overall effect of the book is overwhelming. Don’t expect to be able to read it in one sitting. The tears and memories flooding back will prevent that, regardless of how long it has been since one’s own loss. It is probably too powerful for most newly bereaved pet lovers – but very much worth owning and reading later, when some reasonable closure has been reached.
In addition to browsing the “In Memoriam” page on the APLB website, I sometimes visit pet cemeteries, and stroll around, reading the stones and memories. Here I get a strong sense of the passionate love and loss others have experienced. This always becomes a personal catharsis, allowing me to feel even more the mystery associated with death, graves and timeless love. And I always weep and pay personal tribute to all those dear souls – and my own beloved pet, as well. Then I leave, feeling enriched and close to my loved one, again. This book will provide others with the same experience, but in a completely different format. It recharges the reader’s spiritual batteries with the love and tears and glow that come back from deep within – and that is always a precious experience.


Media Reviews – Angel Pawprints


Angel Pawprints will touch dog lovers and literary lions alike. The anthology of tributes to dearly departed dogs includes Lord Byron’s poem to his late Newfoundland, Boatswain; a last will and testament by the Dalmatian owned by playwright Eugene O’Neill, and many other classic canine works by great writers. (Dog Fancy Magazine)
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Several years ago, Laurel Hunt’s two dogs died within months of each other. Despite sympathetic support from friends, Hunt still missed her pets. She found solace in a poem called “The Rainbow Bridge,” then decided that a book of writings about the death of animals might console other grieving dog owners. Bottom line: Puppy love, 4ever. (People Magazine)
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When Laurel Hunt, the editor of Angel Pawprints, lost her two beloved dogs, Marmaduke and Molly, within seven weeks of each other, she began to collect the text from various pet memorials. Her book, an affecting collection of short stories, poetry, and photographs, is the perfect way to express regrets about a close one’s loss of a dog. For, as many of the writings make clear, many dog owners don’t find as much support as they need during their hour of grief. (Animal Fair Magazine)
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At first glance, you might think this little book too sad, but if you love dogs and outlived one – this book heals. It’s a simple collection of vintage photos, memories, and tributes written by both famous and ordinary people who loved their dogs. Kipling, Thurber, Byron, O’Neill, and Jeffers are some of the famous you’ll recognize, but it’s a poem by Anonymous that inspired Laurel E. Hunt to assemble this collection, “The Rainbow Bridge,” where your dog waits for you on the way to heaven. Heart insurance in paperback. (Black Dog Catalog)
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Angel Pawprints is a touching anthology of pet memorials with more than 40 poems, essays and stories written as tributes to beloved dogs and illustrated with rare vintage photographs of many different breeds. (Daily Courier, Prescott, AZ)
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Media Reviews – Angel Whiskers: Reflections on Loving and Losing a Feline Companion


Angel Whiskers is a compilation of writings, photographs and poetic tributes to remembered furry friends. This  book is a wonderful, warm treasure in sepia tones and vintage photographs. Anyone who has loved and lost a cat will find kindred spirits, people who know and understand, revealed in its pages.
Hunt, who devotes much of her free time to her pets and pet-related causes, was moved to find comfort in her antiquarian book collection after she lost her dogs to cancer. The books included moving memories of pets and they gave her solace which she hadn’t found in contemporary pet loss books. Realizing the power of these writings to heal the pain – not only her own but others as well – she compiled Angel Pawprints – Reflections on Loving and Losing a Canine Companion. Angel Whiskers is in the same genre and illustrated with vintage photographs of cats.
Included are writings by the famous as well as the not-so-famous, but Hunt’s book dedication pretty much tells it all. “In loving memory of all the animals who have shared my journey, whose love has brightened my days, and who are buried in my heart.” Keep a box of tissues handy. (Pasadena Star-News)
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Losing our cats can leave us lonely and overwhelmed. Angel Whiskers can provide solace. Famous and little-known authors reflect on how cats have touched their lives through this collection of vintage photographs, meditative poems and short stories about feline companions. (Cat Fancy Magazine)


Reader thank you notes


I REALLY liked your book. It touched my heart deeply. (Betty Carmack, a pet loss counselor)

It’s a truly beautiful book – the selections were so touching and I love the photos – I will make sure I tell my vet about it so she can recommend it to those who are grieving. Thank you for all the love and care that went into your book – I bet Molly and Marmaduke would be proud! (Rachel S.)

Your lovely book has been sent by us to friends in need – many times. Thank you for making that possible. (Ron and Barbara H.)

We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I can’t begin to tell you how empty our house feels without our old friend Oscar. Your book has really helped with our healing and we are so grateful. (Scott P.)

In twenty years of practice, yours is the first book I’ve read that I can recommend without reservation! How very wise and kind of you not to advise but to invite people to explore their grief in such a way as to keep it productive and intimate. (Barbara Meyers, Grief Therapist)

Customer Reviews
Angel Whiskers: Reflections on Loving and Losing a Feline Companion


Good basic reference for healing the pain of pet loss.
, January 30, 2001
By     “amrdmr”  (Arlington, WA USA)
This book contains a lovely collection of written poems and memorials to beloved cats. The Cleveland Amory tale of the passing of Polar Bear is classic and guaranteed to make you weep. Also contained herein is the famous “Rainbow Bridge” poem by Anonymous. But new to me was the answering poem “Request from Rainbow Bridge” by Constance Jenkins, which I had not seen before and which I found to be one of the best pieces in the book. There is a small excerpt from the wonderful little book “Charles: the story of a friendship” by Michael Joseph which is sadly out of print, but well worth the effort of trying to track down a copy. The written tributes were most moving and offer some warmth from the freezing, howling winds of grief at the loss of a beloved “fur-person”. The vintage photographs presented with the poems and stories were also surprisingly touching. Looking at them, the love humans had and have for their pets is a tangible and powerful emotion captured on film. I found this book to be much more of a balm for sorrow than “The Heart that is Loved Never Forgets”. It is a good companion book to Philip Schreibman’s “My Cat Saved my Life” and would make an extremely thoughtful gift for someone who is mourning their cat.

Angel Whiskers, June 10, 2001
By     Nancy  (Corcoran, MN United States)
Whether you are a dog or a cat lover, you will find “Angel Whiskers” especially inspirational, and fully realize the strength and unbreakable bond that exists between humans and animals. The photos, stories, and memorials are those everyone can relate to on a personal level. Both “Angel Whiskers” and “Angel Pawprints” will always provide me with the comfort I need in remembering my beloved pets.


Comfort for those who miss their own “Angel Whiskers”, March 22, 2003
By     “batgirl77”  (USA)
This book has helped me release some of the pain suffered through losing my beloved feline friend. The deep realization that others also mourn such devoted pets, makes one feel less alone. The vintage photographs portray the love people can feel for these remarkable creatures known as Cats.


Angel Whiskers, December 5, 2005
By     Mel Morris “fancy feline”
No matter what the circumstances of your loss, there will be a poem or story here that reflects it. For anyone who has lost a beloved cat or is looking for a way to comfort someone who has, I highly recommend this book.