Our special thanks go to our assistant, Emily Marquoit. Her contributions in research, writing and editing, project conception, and sample creation have been invaluable. We owe a debt of gratitude to Emily for her tireless devotion to this project. She is not only a spelling and grammar champ, but she finds ways to make us laugh after hours in front of a computer or a sewing machine.
Thanks to Meg Mateo Ilasco for recommending us for this project, and to Lisa Campbell for giving us this opportunity. Lisa’s support and encouragement have eased us through the process of writing our first book.
Thanks to Merrill Johnson, D.V.M., and Michael Roth, D.V.M., and their staff, Linda Wilton, Rachel Rich, Rose Knox, Pam Eldert, and Noreen Dick, for providing such good care for Jordan and Gertrude in the last years of their lives, and for providing comfort to us, as well. Dr. Roth graciously provided guidance during the initial research for this book.
We have been blessed with pets and surrounded by animals for most of our lives. Their companionship and loyalty have taught and continue to inspire us to live a better life. We encourage readers to use this book as a starting point to provide a more ecologically sensitive and sustainable life for their pets and for themselves.