Kit has loved and learned about dogs, including breeds, traits, and training, all her life. She was a city girl who dreamed of owning a farm someday. The mountains and forests have always called to her. Kit became a nurse, working in a hospital, then a county clinic, and finally working in the county jails. All the officers knew she rescued baby birds, spiders, and even a bat.

Kit and Russ, her husband of 41 years, finally achieved their dream of owning a farm. They have a fenced-in vegetable garden and a fruit orchard. The produce from these is canned, dehydrated or freeze-dried to last for years. They have chickens for eggs. They have Nubian dairy goats for milk, cream, butter, and various cheeses. And they have Livestock Guardian Dogs ( LGDs ).

Kit had never heard of LGDs in all of her voracious reading of dogs. She now suspects it is because they are not intended to be pets and can be dangerous to both people and other pets, especially dogs. They have centuries of breeding to guard all kinds of animals, from chickens to cows. This is their job; it’s in them. They excel at barking off or attacking predators. They even scan the sky for birds of prey!

Our LGDs accept who we accept, but never those people’s dogs. Our friends know to leave their dogs at home. We can now walk them both on leashes, but it was a fight with our male LGD. Our vet clears the waiting room to bring them in because they will kill the dogs and cats there. But they love to get affection from us and consider us part of their goat herd. We know this because our male LGD claimed us as his when he hiked his leg on us. Again, they are not good pets. We know a 12-year-old boy who sometimes gets bullied. He comes home and reads this book. He draws comfort out of the triumph and harmony Joy gained as she became her animals’ hero. This makes us very happy.