ORDER
While out on a walk one evening, Kristin von Kreisler came upon an abandoned beagle, a refugee from an animal research laboratory. Unwilling to return the dog to such a home, von Kreisler took her in and named her Bea. “I did not know then that I had years of worry ahead of me – difficult yet supremely rewarding years,” she writes. “Our new houseguest was going to change my life.”
So begins For Bea, the account of a mute, malnourished, and damaged little dog who became a diva. Accustomed to sharing her life with animals who reciprocate her love, von Kreisler found it hard at first to understand a beagle who vibrated with fear around strangers, who had no comprehension of the concept of play, and who, worst of all, rebuffed her every kind overture.
But Bea, it turned out, was a beagle of many talents. Over time, she drew on a bounty of inner courage to find her bark and her spirit. Freed form the haunts of her past, Bea became a beguiler who entered rooms with the confidence of a model swishing her skirt on a Paris runway; a stubborn manipulator whose melodramatic postures and repertoire of tail wags guaranteed the fulfillment of her every wish. A butter thief with a blood lust for rodents and a hatred of dental hygiene, Bea treed a raccoon on the laundry room ceiling; mastered the art of toothpaste spitting; and when put on a diet, chewed the fuzz off tennis balls, the leaves off potted plants, and two square feel of padding from under a rug.
Chronicling these and other adventures For Bea is the tale of an unforgettable canine heroine and the human she inspired with her ability to overcome past grief and live utterly in the present. If you’ve ever loved a dog – especially a beagle – this charming story will touch your hearts.
Reviews
“[For Bea] kept me reading late into the night. Bea is unforgettable. Her story will touch your heart.”
—Mary Tyler Moore
“We all love our pets, but there is always that ‘special one’ from whom we learn so much and whose influence lasts a lifetime. Bea is such a one. A lovely story.”
—Betty White
“[For Bea] is a journey beautifully captured… a lyrical tale of the sometimes miracle-making bond between human and beast.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“This is the perfect…feel-good read.”
—Tribune Media Services
“[von Kreisler] weaves a lovely tale. As you read the book, you can feel the softness of Bea’s ears, sense what is behind the soulful stare, and ache at her obvious reluctance to trust.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“[For Bea is a] colorful, high-energy memoir… If you like happy endings with a poignant magic in the air, von Kreisler delivers.” —Seattle Times
“This book is a charming, inspirational story.”
— Knight Ridder
“I urge you to check out For Bea because it’s more than a story of an animal rescued form a terrible life. It’s also the story of the gifts that special animals like Bea bring to us, if we’ll just take the time to discover them.”
—San Jose Mercury News
“A story such as this one…will be heartwarming to any animal-lover.”
—AKC Gazette
“A worthy addition to collections of true dog stories and reminiscences.”
—Library Journal
“This moving and extraordinary story needed to be told. I say ‘Brava!’ for caring individuals like Kristin von Kreisler.”
—Rue McClanahan
“The book is beautiful.”
—Bea Arthur
“With the keen eye of a journalist and compassionate heart of a dog lover, Kristin von Kreisler paints a portrait of an unassuming but unforgettable little dog. Beyond Bea’s endearing ways and forgiving spirit, this book explores a larger issue: mankind’s seemingly infinite capacity to hurt – then heal – the animals with whom it shares the world.”
—Paul Irwin, President, Humane Society of the U.S.
“It’s tough to look at a beagle without smiling, even though those soulful eyes often belie strong wills and independent natures. From the first to the last page of this deeply touching love story, you can’t help thinking, What a lucky dog, what a lucky person.”
—Jon Katz, author of A Dog Year
“Compassion and love abound in this short but life-changing book. Read, weep, and share Bea with everyone you can.”
—Marc Bekoff, author of Minding Animals and The Ten Trusts
“A lovely, gentle heart-pleaser of a story.”
—Susan Chernak McElroy, author of Animals as Healers and Teachers
“Von Kreisler has captured the rare and wonderful relationship between a dog and a person who have rescued each other, who respect each other, and who grow closer day by day. Told with wit, compassion, and intellect, the story of Bea is hard to put down.”
—Joanna Burger, author of The Parrot Who Owns Me