Happy Tails - hilarious
hints for dog owners

"IT all started innocently. I ran to the window to check out the UPS guy and got all tangled up in the lamp cord. It crashed into a table and I ran like hell to get away from the chaos. On my way, I somehow managed to upset three houseplants and overturn a chair. I knew I was in for it, so I found a back corner to hide in. But my anxiety got the better of me and I ended up leaving a puddle on the floor."

The authors of the book, Dr. Gary L. Ailes, DVM and Joy Underhill, created an innovative dialogue in this book, with the main character, Hank, who gives hints and techniques to the adult reader on dog care, training and behavioral problems. The book has many colorful funny cartoons by Tony Loughran.

Why an E-Book?
OK, everyone at work thinks you are working on an important project while you are really reading a novel, a how-to book, or who knows what. It can stay downloaded on your computer, laptop or notebook to read at your leisure or you can even print it. It's a great way to bring along a good book on a long trip, or while you're at the airport waiting for your connecting flight. No bulky books to juggle and you save a few trees.

What is so funny about dog care?
We take say a topic like "Preventing your puppy's destructive chewing" while giving you invaluable good tools for training we have made it hilarious with our character, Hank, giving the information from a puppy's viewpoint. As the book evolves the character ages and gives advice to dog owners. Our character is a little self-centered and goofy at times. But still from his point of view all dog owners can learn a few new tricks.

Who is the contributing veterinarian?
Dr. Gary L. Ailes is a veterinarian who has worked in the field since graduating in 1972. He is currently the President of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in the state of Nevada. He is a TPLO Certified Veterinarian, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, Association of Veterinary Orthopedics for Research and Education, Veterinary Orthopedic Society and the Veterinary Surgical Laser Society. He was featured in the April 1999 issue of Veterinary Economics. He performs such procedures as Total Hip Replacement, Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, Triple Pelvic Osteotomy, and other surgical procedures. Gary brings to this "how-to book" an expertise of how to care for your dog. His humorous real life stories as a vet have added much to the book.

You took a new approach to finding the writer and illustrator, how did you do it?
First we brought the idea to my own vet who knew the "how to care for a dog" stuff. Gary has a great sense of humor and that's what we wanted, a funny book. We advertised on the web to writer groups and illustrator groups. The response was overwhelming as you may guess but after a process of elimination we found the right fit with Joy Underhill the co-writer and Tony Loughran the illustrator. We started a long distance dialogue, you see Joy lives in New York and Tony lives in Florida. They fit into, or maybe outside the box of the team we were looking for. And bingo we have a terrific book. It wasn't quite that easy but that was the process.

This e-book is now out of production and the publisher is now CEO of the Trust that helps Pets of the Homeless.