Pets and the City

True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian

De: Dr. Amy Attas

Narrado por: Adrienne Cornette

One of Washington Post’s 5 “Feel-Good Books” of Summer 2024

New York City’s premier “house call veterinarian” takes you into the exclusive penthouses and four-star hotel rooms of the wealthiest New Yorkers and shows that, when it comes to their pets, they are just as neurotic as any of us.

When a pet is sick, people—even the rich and famous—are at their most authentic and vulnerable. They could have a Monet on the wall and an Oscar on the shelf, but if their cat gets a cold, all they want to talk about are snotty noses and sneezing fits. That’s when they call premier in-home veterinarian Dr. Amy Attas.

In Pets and the City, Dr. Amy shares all the funny, heartbreaking, and life-affirming experiences she’s faced throughout her thirty-year career treating the cats and dogs of New Yorkers from Park Avenue to the projects. Some of her stories are about celebs, like the time she saw a famous singer naked (no, her rash was not the same as her puppy’s). Others are about remarkable animals, like the skilled service dog who, after his exam was finished, left the room and returned with a checkbook in his mouth. Every tale in this rollicking, informative, and fun memoir affirms a key truth about animal, and human, nature: Our pets love us because their hearts are pure; we love them because they’re freaking adorable. On some level, we know that by caring for them, we are the best version of ourselves. In short: Our pets make us better people.

©2024 Amy Attas (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Celebrity pets—they’re just like ours! . . . [But] the real stars of the book are the animals; their stories celebrate the powerful connections between people and their pets.”—Washington Post

"We enjoyed every word. Like Dad’s books, Pets and the City is as much about people as it is about animals. It is truly fascinating—so very different from country veterinary practice in Yorkshire! Her love of animals comes through loud and clear, as does her instinctive understanding of the relationship between the owners and their pets, and the good it does for both parties....Just as our father, the real James Herriot, was, Dr. Attas is a dedicated and caring veterinarian with the welfare of both patient and customer her priority. The book is a worthy tribute to her profession, and we wish it well.”—James Wight M.R.C.V.S. and Dr. Rosie Page, son and daughter of James Herriot, author of All Creatures Great and Small

“Brimming with great stories and heart in equal measure, Pets and the City is prime reading for anyone who has ever spent time in the company of animals. Attas gives us an eye-opening account of what it's like to be NYC's premier house-call vet, sharing touching and outrageous stories of clients both human and animal. She's been witness to the strangest and most extravagant animal-human relationships the city has to offer, and we get to go along with her (without having to administer intravenous fluids).”—Alexandra Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Inside of a Dog

The devotion of the vet to animals and their owners.

I loved the book, but did not agree that all pet store dogs come from puppy mills and are sick. All of our dogs have been rescues, except for my two beautiful labs, Mia, a yellow lab, and Charley, a chocolate lab. They were healthy, precious, had beautiful dispositions, loved each other, and both lived to 16.

I want a dog

Charming and easy to read. Really sums up pet love. Glad I found this book.

Listened to this one twice!

Magnificent and full of poignant anecdotes (and advice). Might just listen again. Brilliantly and beautifully read! It will tug at your heartstrings one moment and make you giggle or gasp the next.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end!

This book is full of amazing and heartwarming stories. I couldn’t stop listening and finished it in 2 days. I also loved the narrator! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an uplifting and entertaining read.

A well written book filled with humor and excitement.

I love how Dr.Amy incorporated her knowledge and compassion into her daily work and it showed the world what true love between human and pets is like despite unfortunate events that might happen. life is always better with our pets. they give us unconditional love.

Fantastic

This is a must read if you are an animal lover. Stumbled across this one completely by accident and totally fell in love. In fact, today when I finished the audiobook, I immediately restarted it. I almost never do that. If you love the James Herriot books, you will adore this. You will laugh you will cry. You will wish Dr. Amy was your veterinarian.

I liked her compassion for animals and the animals owners. And the telling of her many comical and serious experiences.

I liked her compassion for animals and the animals owners. I also enjoy the many comical experiences that she shared in the story.

Mark as DNF

I gave it eight chapters. I tried. Maybe it gets better. I will never know.

Wished I hadn't...

I found this book mentioned in the New York Times as a "Fun Read" and comparing it to a book written by another veterinarian, James Herriot. Nowhere is there a resemblance to All Creatures Great and Small.

In a word, it was a piece of gossipy fluff. Almost every client was identified by where they lived in NYC...as if that is important to someone living in outside of the city? Although she vehemently rejects judging people...the book is loaded with judgement and questionable motives. For instance, there were two stories about discovering marital infidelity with her clients. In one story, she was asked not to tell the spouse, but she took it upon herself to expose the affair. The marriage ended in divorce. In another story she did not tell the spouse and there were no consequences for that offense. I can't comprehend why she felt compelled to interject herself into the personal lives of her clients. Lots of name dropping. This book was very hard to continue listening to. It would take me a while to get over some of the horrific stories about the injury or death of some of the pets.