The Lady and Her Tiger

This book is wonderful. You will cry. You will become very angry about the injustices of the animal trade in the entertainment industry. It gives an inside look at what goes on that we on the "outside" of the industry know precious little about. Things are not all rosy, far from it. If you wish to stay in denial, this is not the book for you but if you are ready to hear the truth, it's a must read.

I, too, bought this book in the 70s, and was cured by it of the notion that wild animals can ever live happily with people. After ten years as a veterinary technician, I've had to back off that notion, but only a little. There are a very, very few people out there who are willing to understand a wild animal and adapt themselves to its needs. These people--many of them are trainers--can actually enrich the lives of the captive wild animals they work with. I'm not one of them. You'll probably conclude, after reading this book, that you aren't either. That Pat (and her excellent ghostwriter Peter S. Beagle) can negotiate this boundary is remarkable. Although the book is quite sentimental, it also talks about the dangers of sentiment. And Pat doesn't pull any punches, sharing with us times when, out of ignorance and/or desparation, she did things she isn't proud of. She comes off as being deeply divided, and rightly so, about her right to have anything to do with these creatures, even though she obviously loves them deeply and devotes her life to understanding them. The last I heard, she was involved in sanctuary work, rescuing exotic "pets." Hallelujah! For a deeper undestanding of the conversations that can happen between humans and animals when true respect and attention are maintained, I also recommend the books of trainer Vicki Hearne.