Karen Fine always knew that she wanted to be a vet and wasn't going to let anything stop her: not her allergy to cats, and not the fact that in the '80s veterinary medicine was still a mostly male profession. Inspired by her grandfather, a compassionate doctor who paid house calls to all his (human) patients, Dr. Fine persevered, and brought her Oupa's principles into her own practice, which emphasizes the need to understand her patients' stories to provide the best possible care. And in this book, Dr. Fine shares all these touching, joyful, heartbreaking, and life-affirming tales that make up her career as a vet. Woven into Dr. Fine's story are, of course, also the stories of her own pets: the birds, cats, and dogs who have taught her the most valuable lessons-how caring for the animals in our lives can teach us to better care for ourselves, especially when life seems precarious.