Monica’s household has been home to a mixed bag of creatures providing plenty of stories: some happy, some sad, some very unusual, but all made life very interesting and entertaining. With tales of a fleet-footed hamster who could climb 14 stairs in 9 seconds, a football playing dog who was a wizard on the dribble and a polecat that gave birth to a litter of eights kits the day after she was rescued, Pets and Puppies gives an insight into the life of an animal lover.

After the death of her first pet dog, Monica applied to walk guide dog puppies and was accepted as a volunteer. She spent thirty years walking twenty-seven puppies in preparation for their further training at a year old. In her book, she recounts the different characters she met along the way: puppies who refused to walk, one who was agoraphobic, one who play fought with their bantam cock, another who stole food, shredded clothes and toys, and one who needed hydrotherapy treatment after surgery. The book also tells of dogs that did not qualify to become guide dogs and returned to Monica’s family to enrich their lives, and some who returned to them after retirement and still offered a challenge.