Bud DeYoung

I found this to be an honest and moving account of one man's passion for animals - for over 40 years, Bud DeYoung has been looking after animals. The book charts the animals Bud has owned over the years; the joy he has found in taking care of them and sharing them with others and; some of the injuries he's sustained looking after them!

Bud is clearly a very hard worker and has been for most of his life - he's also had lots of help over the years and there was a clear desire to thank some of those people in this book.

The book is heartfelt without becoming over sentimental, many of the stories will be saddening and/or heart-warming to animal lovers - for me, this started with Teddy Bear who Bud rescued from a very small enclosure and carried on with tales of Louie the chimpanzee, Wallace the hippo and more animals than you can believe.

The book ends with a selection of letters from visitors to the DeYoung Family Zoo, which give a glimpse into how inspirational the zoo has been to many people.

I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing early reviewer program in exchange for an unbiased review.… (lisätietoja)

Bud DeYoung knew from an early age that he wanted to work with animals. Starting with a small back yard group of animals, he eventually created a large zoo. With both rescued and aquired animals, his dream came true. But the work involved in creating the dream sounded almost impossible. While establishing the zoo, building all the enclosures, feeding all the animals, and tending the ones that were hurt would be one person's full time job. Bud also drove semi-trucks at night to help with the finances.

Many touching and incredible stories. I recommend this book if you are an animal lover.… (lisätietoja)