Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm

Summary

Jon Katz is one of America’s best-loved writers about animals, a chronicler of rural life to rival James Herriot. Here the squire of Bedlam Farm allows us to live our dreams of leaving the city for the country, and shares the unpredictable adventure of farm life. From little Jesus, the newborn donkey who becomes the farm mascot, to the surprisingly sociable steer Elvis and his enormous sweetheart, Luna, the creatures at Bedlam Farm find new ways to challenge Katz, who writes, “The perfect life is like the perfect dog: Neither exists. And joy is a fraction of the experience of owning a farm.”

Riding herd on the entire place is Rose, the workaholic border collie. Not even Rupert, the ram, can intimidate her. As for Pearl and Clementine, the Labs, their work is chomping down food, tearing through the woods, and finding laps to snuggle on. The sheep, the chickens, and the cat all contribute to the hum (and occasional roar) of Bedlam. So do the vet, the carpenter, and the animals’ tender-hearted nursemaid. Last but not least there’s Izzy, the abandoned border collie, who, if all goes well, may soon become a Bedlam star.

In spite of the aches and pains brought on by his demanding lifestyle and days when Bedlam Farm truly lives up to its name (like the day Elvis pulled the fence down), the author is sustained in all he does by his wife, Paula. And on timeless summer days and in punishing winter storms, he continues his meditation on what animals can selflessly teach us—and what we in turn owe to them.

With good neighbors, a beautiful landscape, and tales of true love thrown in, Dog Days gives us not only marvelous, down-to-earth animal stories but a rich portrait of the harmonious world that is Bedlam Farm.