Our little cat, Princess, died a few days ago. She had been with us for sixteen years, giving us all love and affection and delight in her unique ways. I loved her dearly and will miss her terribly. At the same time, I know that she lives on. I, for example, am a far richer person, for having known her so deeply. Thanks to her incredibly dear presence, my heart has been raised to a greater power.

Have you ever known an animal, a non-human one I mean, that has enriched you as a human being? Have you ever had a relationship with a non-human animal that has given you more of yourself, made you more fully human, given you access to understanding and feeling that you would not otherwise have known?

Most of us have, and in fact I would be sad for anyone who hasn’t had the extraordinary experience of having their heart touched by a being of a different species. There is something truly magical about how they can enter our worlds, and just by being themselves, leave us forever changed.

How do we return the favor? Most of us treat the animals we call pets well. We lavish our affection on them and receive much in return. But there is so much more for us to learn, so many ways in which we can, fairly easily really, come to care more wisely and more efficaciously for our fellow creatures.

That’s where this marvelous book comes in. All for Animals, by Karen Lee Stevens, is chock full of helpful hints, exciting ideas, super suggestions, and all manner of positive possibilities for living with enhanced respect and joy with our animal friends. You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to benefit from this book, nor do you have to be someone with oodles of time to spare. The genius of this book is that it takes you right where you are, and points the way to actions and resources that allow caring for animals to be what it should be, easy, simple, and hugely rewarding.

I am sure that my little cat Princess would have been delighted Karen has written this book. And I am equally sure that countless other cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, pigs, cows, snakes, and just about every other kind of animal, too, are likewise glad. If you calm your mind and open your heart and listen, I'll bet you can hear them now, rejoicing, thankful that you have picked up this book, and grateful that you are the kind of person who cares about the well-being of creatures like them.

We're going to have quite the party some day. I can barely imagine the joy that humanity will know when we finally start to treat other creatures with the respect that we would like to receive, if we were in their paws or hoofs and they were dominant upon the Earth. With All for Animals, Karen Lee Stevens takes us a good deal closer to that day.

John Robbins
author, Diet for a New America
founder, EarthSave