November 2, 2023 • 21 mins
In this episode of ER VET, Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT interviews producer, podcaster, animal welfare advocate and author Laura Thomas on her newest book "Not Just a Dog," about a woman lost in the jungle of Costa Rica. Tune in as this author discusses the human-animal bond, portrayed in a beautiful, heartfelt story about woman and dog.
SHOW NOTES: Not Just a Dog with Laura Thomas
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SHOW NOTES: Not Just a Dog with Laura Thomas
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is pet Life Radio, Let's Talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Welcome to eer Venom pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm your host Sacker Justin Lee, and I'm an emergency
critical care vetory specialist and toxicologist.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
You guys are in for a treat because I'm going
to be speaking with a good friend of mine, Laura Thomas,
who is a producer, a podcaster, and writer, and she
is all things dog and cat too. So we'll be
right back after these messages.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Take a bite out of your competition, advertise your business
with an ad in pet Life Radio podcast and radio shows.
There is no other pet related media that is as
large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than
pet Life Radio with over seven million monthly listeners. Pet
Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms,
(01:13):
and our live radio stream goes out to over two
hundred and fifty million subscribers on iHeartRadio, Odyssey, tune In,
and other streaming apps. For more information on how you
can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network,
visit Petlifradio dot com slash advertised today.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
Let's Talk Pets on Petlifradio dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Welcome back to ervet on pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Super excited to speak with Laura Thomas, who I've known
for several years to was someone who I instantly knew
was a ca Inuran spirit, especially when it came to
the animal world, and met her when we were filming
a show on Natchio Wild.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Laura, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 6 (02:09):
I am thrilled to be joining you. Thank you for
having me.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Of course, now, just so our audience knows who you are,
I know they can always find more information at Laurabama
dot com. And I know that you've had a ton
of books a ton of podcasts that you created before,
but I wanted you to just go ahead and give
us an intro.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Who are you? When did you first fall in love
with pets? What do you do?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I know you're also a musician, an author, a producer.
Tell me everything that you do.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Thanks. My music days are behind me now. I grew
out of that one when I started getting too tired
to be performing all the time. But now I am
a producer and writer and documentary film world. I'm currently
working on a film about dogs, which I'm super excited about,
and I have a podcast Rescued by a Dog, where
people tell stories about dogs that have actually saved their lives,
(02:57):
and I wrote a book about dogs. So I have
been obsessed with dogs since I was kid. I have
a firm belief that they are the greatest force for
healing in the world, and more and more as I
grew older, I realized that I wanted to use my
passion for storytelling to spread that healing force that dogs
are through the creative media that I love to engage with.
(03:23):
And so hence the podcast, the book and all the things.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
You know. I love what you do, especially from an
animal welfare aspect. I know you've worked with animal rescue
groups before, and you do all things to promote rescue
and adoption. And so for those of you guys who
haven't already checked out her podcast, Rescued by a Dog,
she's got all five star reviews. And I love this
podcast because it brings you first hand stories told all
(03:46):
by pet owners or dog owners about how their dogs
actually saved their lives. And you know, I always say
the world is so much meaner post COVID, So love
your podcast because they're happy christ stories and like, if
we can bring more goodness to the world, more happiness
to the world, so important right now.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
It's so important, Yes, it really is. And I do
have a passion for animal rescue. For a couple of years,
I ran a dog program at a major shelter, and
I loved that work with all my heart. It was
the most meaningful thing I've ever done. Also the hardest
thing that I've ever done, and I by burned out,
as many people do. I'm sure you talk to plenty
(04:24):
of vets who have that same experience. But I needed
to find a way to continue to honor my love
of animals and honor what they do for us. And
so the podcast just feels like a really healthy, meaningful
way for me to continue to honor that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You know, I always get sent books by you know,
whether or not they're veterinarians, vetnay specialists, or authors. They
want me to read them and check them out. And
so I have a whole bookshelf and you sent me
your book Gosh a couple of months ago, and I
finished it, and I reach out to you to do
this podcast because it was one book where whether or
not you're veterinarian, a dog lover, a cat lover, or
(05:01):
you're not sure about dogs, man, this book was incredible
And so for those of you guys who don't know
her book, she's actually written several Laura wrote this book
called Not Just a Dog. And I will also say
I've been a Costa Rica before. Obviously I love dogs
and cats since I'm a veternory professional.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
But this story was.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
About a person, a Stella, who was lost in a
Costa Rica jungle and she started to lose hope. Obviously
the jungle the rainforest is quite potentially vicious, right, like,
there's a lot of poisonous things in there, and she
ends up meeting this ama shaded stray dog, and she
ends up calling this dog dirty, and over the course
of several days, it's basically about the human animal bond
(05:44):
as they both approach dangers and this dog, even though
it's a stray dog, really stays by her side. And
I love this story. I loved all aspects of it.
I love the way you described it, and I could
totally see the producer point of view where you authored it.
And I'm not the type that I'm super imaginative. I'm
(06:04):
a scientist.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I could totally picture this in my head as I
was reading it.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
It was so well written. So first of all what
inspired you to write this particular story.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Thank you so much for those words. Firstly, it means
so much to me that you connected with the book.
I feel like I know the people in the book
so well as many authors do, so it makes me
really happy when other people feel like they can see
them and know them as well. I have always had
a strong interest in survival stories, and there used to
(06:33):
be a documentary series on I think it was on
Animal Planet, although the stories weren't all about animals, but
it was called I Shouldn't Be Alive, and there was
an episode where a woman named Danelle fell off a
cliff and she was with her dog and she broke
She shattered her pelvis and couldn't move, and she was
in the Utah wilderness, and so she had to ask
her dog to go get help for her, help her
(06:55):
figure it out. And I just found that story so moving,
and I've thought about it for years since I saw
the documentary. So then I've written, as you said, a
few books, and I had this idea of writing a book.
It's not based on Danelle's story, but it's that story
sort of inspired the thought of, like what if someone
were lost in a jungle, and they couldn't find their
way out, like could a dog. Could a bond with
(07:16):
a dog become so strong in a few days that
the dog would focus on helping that human survive. And
I think that the dog human bond is that strong.
And so I created a story around a person who
didn't really have much interest in dogs and developed this bond.
And I just felt like I also wanted to in
(07:36):
addition to honoring the dog human bond, I wanted to
honor my love of Costa Rica. I've been there many times.
It's my favorite place on Earth. And once when I
went there in twenty eleven, I was there for a
month with a girlfriend. She and I just sort of
took our computers down there and worked for a month
to get away. And we met a stray dog and
(07:58):
we named her Torres, and she followed us everywhere, and
she was completely stray, but never peed in our house,
you know, like seemed to have the mind of a
human and just was a very deep soul. And we
brought her back to the US and my friend Dana
adopted her. So the book. The Dog in the Book
is based completely on that dog that we met in
(08:20):
Costa Rica. Stella, who I think. You know, you meet
different types of dogs in your life, and some of
them feel like people. They're so smart, they're so connected instantly,
and sometimes when you meet a dog, that dog chooses
you and decides you're going to be my person. And
that experience of meeting Torres done in Costa Rica was
(08:40):
one of the most moving of my life. So I
sort of combined that story with my love of survival
stories and mashed them up in one novel about a
jungle that I've actually been to in Costa Rica and
I did not get lost.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
You know, it's so interesting because as I was reading
this book, I wanted to reach out to you and
find out if Dirty was actually Sun and actual dog.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So it's good to know.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But it was interesting because I was wondering it was
written from in so much detail, especially around the rainforest,
that I couldn't help wondering if it was based on
a true story. So I also have been to Costa Rica. Gosh,
it was over a decade ago or more, but just
an absolutely beautiful country in terms of like rainforests, volcanoes, beaches.
(09:24):
The people were so friendly so really really loved it too.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Now you already.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Said, you've never been lost in a jungle, So how
did you come up with the description? And like a
lot of that based on like did you tour through
the rainforest or how did you know about some of
the dangers?
Speaker 6 (09:39):
Right, So first a funny aside. I went to Costa
Rica again last year with my husband and we were
hiking through a rainforest that we had never been to.
It was very empty park, so beautiful, one of the
prettiest places I've ever been. Don't ask me what it's called,
because now I forget. And my husband decided he was
going to stop for a while and film some ants
(09:59):
leafcutter ants ca their little leaves, and I said, okay,
I'm gonna go this way. I'll meet you back at
the car and he said, okay, great. So I got
back to the car. Andy was nowhere to be seen.
So I went looking for Andy, and meanwhile he was
looking for me but had gone a different way, And
so it took us about an hour to find each other,
and we were both essentially lost in this jungle looking
(10:19):
for each other. And I was like, oh my god,
it was prescient, like I foresaw my own death in
this jungle. But we did not die. We found each other.
So I, like I said, I had been to Corcovado
National Park, which is where the book is set, and
I did a guided hike, and I remember when I
went there, everyone said, do not try to hike this
jungle alone. You will get lost. And someone had gotten
(10:42):
lost there not that long before, and it's very dangerous there.
People have seriously in Costa Rica in different jungles, people
have died if they you know, you don't have a hike,
you don't have a guide, and maybe fall and break
your leg and there's just nobody coming by. So you
have to be really careful out there. And then I
also did a bunch of research. I watched a whole
bunch of documentaries about trekking in the jungle. I read
(11:05):
some books about people who got lost in jungles and
what was sort of the course of their dehydration, How
did that feel for them, What other dangers are there
to their body? But also what are the animal dangers
that they might encounter in the jungle. And so as
a you know me, I'm a researcher, So I just
I just watched a whole bunch of documentaries to make
(11:25):
sure that I was portraying what her progression would be
like over the course of a few days without food
and water.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Amazing as you wrote that, I could picture the pain
she was suffering through Stella in this book, from the
insect bites to just the hunger to the thirst of
not being able to eat for you know, three days.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
For those of you guys who are worried, I know
a lot of people who are like I can't read
sad books. I can't read sad books about kids. I
can't read sad books about animals. I will say, I'm
the type of person that if it's a really sad ending,
you know, the ending is so important to me When
I read a book, it could be an amazing, well
written book, And if the ending isn't amazing, I'm like, man,
the book was okay, but this book is incredible. I'm
(12:08):
also the type of anal vertentra person in full disclosure
that I'd like to buy my holiday gifts in advance
because that way I don't stress about it in November
and December. So for those of you guys who are
out there and you're the procrastinator type, you definitely want
to check out this book and you.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Want to get it.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
It's the perfect stocking stuffer for people who love pets,
so definitely want to check that out.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It's Not Just a Dog by Laura Thomas.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Laura, before I ask you a couple of questions and
we take a short commercial break.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Where do people find this book?
Speaker 6 (12:36):
It's online on Amazon, on all the online bookstores. It's
in a few actual bookstores, but there aren't many of
those left so I live in Austin. It is at
book people here in Austin, but mainly people are buying
books online, so that's where you can get it. You
can get the kindle edition or the paperback. And I
have inklings in my brain of maybe doing an audiobook
(12:58):
later this year, but we'll see if I muster the
courage to make that happen.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
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Speaker 5 (14:01):
Let's talk past, Let's cone pets at Life.
Speaker 8 (14:04):
Radio, Headline Radio, petlight radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Welcome back to Earveta pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We're speaking with Laura Thomas, who is not only a producer,
not only a podcaster, not only an author, but also
a musician on her side. Of course that's retired, but
we've been talking about her amazing book called Not Just
a Dog, and as a venory specialist, I will say again,
after I've read this book, I just absolutely loved it.
I reached out to Laura and I was like, I
(14:47):
have to have you on my podcast because I really
wanted people to check this out. Now I know you've
actually authored a couple other books. Do you mind just
telling us about your other book. I know you have
a book Detective Barks a Lot and the Dogs with
No Names. This is a book that I read a
couple of years ago, But tell me about that book also.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
So yeah, I thought one came out a couple of
years ago. It's a kid's book, and I wanted to
write a book that sort of gently educated kids about
how to treat animals and how to think about where
their pets come from. And so in this book, Detective
Barks a Lot is a dog who has aspirations of
being a detective, and he figures out that the local
(15:30):
pet store is getting their puppies from a barn that's
just filled with dogs that don't get out of their cages,
and he wants to set them all free. So it's
sort of a caper where Detective Barcelot and his best
friends Slaber McGee figure out how to get all those
dogs out of their cages and into happy homes. I
really thought it would be a fun challenge to try
to approach that subject, which could have some darkness to it,
(15:54):
but have it not be dark at all, have it
just be fun and something that kids would love reading
and something that would make make kids go. Let me
make sure I'm not getting my puppy from a place
like that. So I don't want to ruffle any feathers by,
you know, approaching that subject the wrong way. I hope
I didn't. I don't think I did. But it was
a fun challenge.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
No, it's all really important information, even veterinarians. Some veterinarians
are really into rescue, and some want a particular breed,
so they are a very pro up here bread and
I always say, one in doubt, do what feels right,
but do your research. Some people want a particular color,
they want a particular shedding hair coat type, they want
(16:37):
a particular personality.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And I will say, you know, one in doubt, do
your research.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
And the AKAC has great information, so the American Kennel Club.
So if you know you want like a friendly dog
who's family oriented, who's eighty pounds, who sheds a lot,
who's super friendly, who's easy to train and very food motivated,
then you know a lot of families will get a
golden retriever. So I say, one in doubt, do your research.
There are also some rescues for breed specific rescues. So
(17:06):
there's one big one in the Twin Cities where I
live called Ragum, and that's one that's a rescue specifically
for golden retrievers. I am a huge advocate of you know,
don't breed or buy when homeless animals die, just knowing
that so many animals are euthanized. But at the same time,
as a veterinarian, I will say I have had to
have the hard decision of euthanizing dogs that have attacked
(17:26):
children or that have had behavioral issues, and you know,
we hate to do that. We always want to be
able to save lives when we can, but when in doubt,
you know, talk to your veterinarian, do your research, talk
to an animal rescue. Right there's a lot of great
options out there for everyone, So don't worry. We don't
mind the controversy, you know, it's something that's an important
topic for people to talk about. I have one pure
(17:47):
bread that I happen to get about five months ago,
and for some reason, all my dogs have had previous
parblu virus. I like to rescue them when the owner
surrenders them they decide they don't want to treat for
four to five thousand dollars, and so I was really
fortunate to be able to rescue my last dog, even
if it was purebread from barbovirus, which, on an unrelated note,
(18:10):
reiterates the importance of preventative medicine.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Right. A lot of times in the shelter we.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Do see animals that have been surrendered because of potentially
costly care that could have been prevented. That's why we
call it preventative medicine, by just keeping their pet on
year round heartworm disease or on a de armor, or
making sure they go through a full puppy or kitten
booster vaccine series so they don't get things like barbovirus.
(18:36):
So again, really emphasizes the importance of preventative medicine.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Yeah, I love bringing that up, and I'm a big
fan of the breed specific rescues, but I also love
that you got your purebread, adorable Frenchy puppy from a rescue.
And the shelter that I worked at, Austin Pet's Alive
has a Carvo ward. So a lot of people don't
realize a that rescues have puppies. There are plenty of
puppies in animal rescue if you're ever interested in that.
(19:01):
But also how treatable parvo is. I didn't realize it,
and I'm a big dog person, but the puppies at APA,
like from all of Texas, they get all the parvo puppies.
They have a ward where they can isolate them and
treat them, and they have like a ninety eight or
ninety nine percent save rate for those puppies. They just
can't be exposed to any other animals while they're being treated.
So that was a really cool thing for me to
(19:22):
learn about. So if you're ever looking for a puppy,
Austin Pets Live has plenty of them, and they're treated
and they're healthy and they're never going to get parvo again.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
All right, In the last few minutes, tell us what's
coming down the pike. What are you working at right now?
I am working on a couple of different documentaries. The
one that I'm most excited about, Inside the Mind of
a Dog, will be coming out next year and Justine
Lee is one of the.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
Expert veterinarians in it. You did such a good job.
So that is still being edited and so look for
that next year. That's one of the main things I'm
focusing on right now, and I'm finally I put this
book out a year go and I'm just now starting
to promote it because I was working one hundred thousand
hours a week at a shelter and didn't have time
(20:07):
to promote it when I put it out, So I
am just spreading the word about the podcast and the book,
and the podcast is doing really well, so that'll be
my primary focus aside from the documentary for the rest
of the year. Rescued by a Dog sounds similar to
Not Just a Dog, so check them out both. And
if you know somebody who is saved by a dog,
(20:27):
please please get in touch with me Rescued by a
Dog Podcast at gmail dot com and I will interview
them for the podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Awesome, great information. Again, if you've been rescued by a
dog or even a cat, I will put in a
plug for Laura. You can contact her at her website
also at Laurabama dot com. And again, awesome stocking stepper.
Not Just a Dog and not to ruin the book,
but sella The main person in this book actually gets
(20:55):
separated by the dog, and it's about the reconnection and
the strength of the bond. Definitely worth checking out for
any pet lover in your life. Thank you so much,
Laura really appreciate you taking the time to be on
today's podcast.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Thank you so much for having me. Always a pleasure
talking to you.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Well.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
That brings us to the end of today's show.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Find me at doctor Justinelee dot com, on Facebook or
Instagram at doctor Justine Lee, or email me your pet
questions at doctor.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Justine at petlife radio dot com.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
With that, we're at a time and we want to
thank Lord Thomas and Mark Winter, our producer, for making
this show possible.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
See you at the next episode.
Speaker 5 (21:28):
Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com.
This is pet Life Radio, Let's Talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Welcome to eer Venom pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm your host Sacker Justin Lee, and I'm an emergency
critical care vetory specialist and toxicologist.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
You guys are in for a treat because I'm going
to be speaking with a good friend of mine, Laura Thomas,
who is a producer, a podcaster, and writer, and she
is all things dog and cat too. So we'll be
right back after these messages.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Take a bite out of your competition, advertise your business
with an ad in pet Life Radio podcast and radio shows.
There is no other pet related media that is as
large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than
pet Life Radio with over seven million monthly listeners. Pet
Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms,
(01:13):
and our live radio stream goes out to over two
hundred and fifty million subscribers on iHeartRadio, Odyssey, tune In,
and other streaming apps. For more information on how you
can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network,
visit Petlifradio dot com slash advertised today.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
Let's Talk Pets on Petlifradio dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Welcome back to ervet on pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Super excited to speak with Laura Thomas, who I've known
for several years to was someone who I instantly knew
was a ca Inuran spirit, especially when it came to
the animal world, and met her when we were filming
a show on Natchio Wild.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Laura, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 6 (02:09):
I am thrilled to be joining you. Thank you for
having me.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Of course, now, just so our audience knows who you are,
I know they can always find more information at Laurabama
dot com. And I know that you've had a ton
of books a ton of podcasts that you created before,
but I wanted you to just go ahead and give
us an intro.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Who are you? When did you first fall in love
with pets? What do you do?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I know you're also a musician, an author, a producer.
Tell me everything that you do.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Thanks. My music days are behind me now. I grew
out of that one when I started getting too tired
to be performing all the time. But now I am
a producer and writer and documentary film world. I'm currently
working on a film about dogs, which I'm super excited about,
and I have a podcast Rescued by a Dog, where
people tell stories about dogs that have actually saved their lives,
(02:57):
and I wrote a book about dogs. So I have
been obsessed with dogs since I was kid. I have
a firm belief that they are the greatest force for
healing in the world, and more and more as I
grew older, I realized that I wanted to use my
passion for storytelling to spread that healing force that dogs
are through the creative media that I love to engage with.
(03:23):
And so hence the podcast, the book and all the things.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
You know. I love what you do, especially from an
animal welfare aspect. I know you've worked with animal rescue
groups before, and you do all things to promote rescue
and adoption. And so for those of you guys who
haven't already checked out her podcast, Rescued by a Dog,
she's got all five star reviews. And I love this
podcast because it brings you first hand stories told all
(03:46):
by pet owners or dog owners about how their dogs
actually saved their lives. And you know, I always say
the world is so much meaner post COVID, So love
your podcast because they're happy christ stories and like, if
we can bring more goodness to the world, more happiness
to the world, so important right now.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
It's so important, Yes, it really is. And I do
have a passion for animal rescue. For a couple of years,
I ran a dog program at a major shelter, and
I loved that work with all my heart. It was
the most meaningful thing I've ever done. Also the hardest
thing that I've ever done, and I by burned out,
as many people do. I'm sure you talk to plenty
(04:24):
of vets who have that same experience. But I needed
to find a way to continue to honor my love
of animals and honor what they do for us. And
so the podcast just feels like a really healthy, meaningful
way for me to continue to honor that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You know, I always get sent books by you know,
whether or not they're veterinarians, vetnay specialists, or authors. They
want me to read them and check them out. And
so I have a whole bookshelf and you sent me
your book Gosh a couple of months ago, and I
finished it, and I reach out to you to do
this podcast because it was one book where whether or
not you're veterinarian, a dog lover, a cat lover, or
(05:01):
you're not sure about dogs, man, this book was incredible
And so for those of you guys who don't know
her book, she's actually written several Laura wrote this book
called Not Just a Dog. And I will also say
I've been a Costa Rica before. Obviously I love dogs
and cats since I'm a veternory professional.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
But this story was.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
About a person, a Stella, who was lost in a
Costa Rica jungle and she started to lose hope. Obviously
the jungle the rainforest is quite potentially vicious, right, like,
there's a lot of poisonous things in there, and she
ends up meeting this ama shaded stray dog, and she
ends up calling this dog dirty, and over the course
of several days, it's basically about the human animal bond
(05:44):
as they both approach dangers and this dog, even though
it's a stray dog, really stays by her side. And
I love this story. I loved all aspects of it.
I love the way you described it, and I could
totally see the producer point of view where you authored it.
And I'm not the type that I'm super imaginative. I'm
(06:04):
a scientist.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I could totally picture this in my head as I
was reading it.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
It was so well written. So first of all what
inspired you to write this particular story.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Thank you so much for those words. Firstly, it means
so much to me that you connected with the book.
I feel like I know the people in the book
so well as many authors do, so it makes me
really happy when other people feel like they can see
them and know them as well. I have always had
a strong interest in survival stories, and there used to
(06:33):
be a documentary series on I think it was on
Animal Planet, although the stories weren't all about animals, but
it was called I Shouldn't Be Alive, and there was
an episode where a woman named Danelle fell off a
cliff and she was with her dog and she broke
She shattered her pelvis and couldn't move, and she was
in the Utah wilderness, and so she had to ask
her dog to go get help for her, help her
(06:55):
figure it out. And I just found that story so moving,
and I've thought about it for years since I saw
the documentary. So then I've written, as you said, a
few books, and I had this idea of writing a book.
It's not based on Danelle's story, but it's that story
sort of inspired the thought of, like what if someone
were lost in a jungle, and they couldn't find their
way out, like could a dog. Could a bond with
(07:16):
a dog become so strong in a few days that
the dog would focus on helping that human survive. And
I think that the dog human bond is that strong.
And so I created a story around a person who
didn't really have much interest in dogs and developed this bond.
And I just felt like I also wanted to in
(07:36):
addition to honoring the dog human bond, I wanted to
honor my love of Costa Rica. I've been there many times.
It's my favorite place on Earth. And once when I
went there in twenty eleven, I was there for a
month with a girlfriend. She and I just sort of
took our computers down there and worked for a month
to get away. And we met a stray dog and
(07:58):
we named her Torres, and she followed us everywhere, and
she was completely stray, but never peed in our house,
you know, like seemed to have the mind of a
human and just was a very deep soul. And we
brought her back to the US and my friend Dana
adopted her. So the book. The Dog in the Book
is based completely on that dog that we met in
(08:20):
Costa Rica. Stella, who I think. You know, you meet
different types of dogs in your life, and some of
them feel like people. They're so smart, they're so connected instantly,
and sometimes when you meet a dog, that dog chooses
you and decides you're going to be my person. And
that experience of meeting Torres done in Costa Rica was
(08:40):
one of the most moving of my life. So I
sort of combined that story with my love of survival
stories and mashed them up in one novel about a
jungle that I've actually been to in Costa Rica and
I did not get lost.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
You know, it's so interesting because as I was reading
this book, I wanted to reach out to you and
find out if Dirty was actually Sun and actual dog.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
So it's good to know.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But it was interesting because I was wondering it was
written from in so much detail, especially around the rainforest,
that I couldn't help wondering if it was based on
a true story. So I also have been to Costa Rica. Gosh,
it was over a decade ago or more, but just
an absolutely beautiful country in terms of like rainforests, volcanoes, beaches.
(09:24):
The people were so friendly so really really loved it too.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Now you already.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Said, you've never been lost in a jungle, So how
did you come up with the description? And like a
lot of that based on like did you tour through
the rainforest or how did you know about some of
the dangers?
Speaker 6 (09:39):
Right, So first a funny aside. I went to Costa
Rica again last year with my husband and we were
hiking through a rainforest that we had never been to.
It was very empty park, so beautiful, one of the
prettiest places I've ever been. Don't ask me what it's called,
because now I forget. And my husband decided he was
going to stop for a while and film some ants
(09:59):
leafcutter ants ca their little leaves, and I said, okay,
I'm gonna go this way. I'll meet you back at
the car and he said, okay, great. So I got
back to the car. Andy was nowhere to be seen.
So I went looking for Andy, and meanwhile he was
looking for me but had gone a different way, And
so it took us about an hour to find each other,
and we were both essentially lost in this jungle looking
(10:19):
for each other. And I was like, oh my god,
it was prescient, like I foresaw my own death in
this jungle. But we did not die. We found each other.
So I, like I said, I had been to Corcovado
National Park, which is where the book is set, and
I did a guided hike, and I remember when I
went there, everyone said, do not try to hike this
jungle alone. You will get lost. And someone had gotten
(10:42):
lost there not that long before, and it's very dangerous there.
People have seriously in Costa Rica in different jungles, people
have died if they you know, you don't have a hike,
you don't have a guide, and maybe fall and break
your leg and there's just nobody coming by. So you
have to be really careful out there. And then I
also did a bunch of research. I watched a whole
bunch of documentaries about trekking in the jungle. I read
(11:05):
some books about people who got lost in jungles and
what was sort of the course of their dehydration, How
did that feel for them, What other dangers are there
to their body? But also what are the animal dangers
that they might encounter in the jungle. And so as
a you know me, I'm a researcher, So I just
I just watched a whole bunch of documentaries to make
(11:25):
sure that I was portraying what her progression would be
like over the course of a few days without food
and water.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Amazing as you wrote that, I could picture the pain
she was suffering through Stella in this book, from the
insect bites to just the hunger to the thirst of
not being able to eat for you know, three days.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Now.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
For those of you guys who are worried, I know
a lot of people who are like I can't read
sad books. I can't read sad books about kids. I
can't read sad books about animals. I will say, I'm
the type of person that if it's a really sad ending,
you know, the ending is so important to me When
I read a book, it could be an amazing, well
written book, And if the ending isn't amazing, I'm like, man,
the book was okay, but this book is incredible. I'm
(12:08):
also the type of anal vertentra person in full disclosure
that I'd like to buy my holiday gifts in advance
because that way I don't stress about it in November
and December. So for those of you guys who are
out there and you're the procrastinator type, you definitely want
to check out this book and you.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Want to get it.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
It's the perfect stocking stuffer for people who love pets,
so definitely want to check that out.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
It's Not Just a Dog by Laura Thomas.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Laura, before I ask you a couple of questions and
we take a short commercial break.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Where do people find this book?
Speaker 6 (12:36):
It's online on Amazon, on all the online bookstores. It's
in a few actual bookstores, but there aren't many of
those left so I live in Austin. It is at
book people here in Austin, but mainly people are buying
books online, so that's where you can get it. You
can get the kindle edition or the paperback. And I
have inklings in my brain of maybe doing an audiobook
(12:58):
later this year, but we'll see if I muster the
courage to make that happen.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
We'll continue with our really cool topic right after these
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Speaker 5 (14:01):
Let's talk past, Let's cone pets at Life.
Speaker 8 (14:04):
Radio, Headline Radio, petlight radio dot com.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Welcome back to Earveta pet Life Radio.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We're speaking with Laura Thomas, who is not only a producer,
not only a podcaster, not only an author, but also
a musician on her side. Of course that's retired, but
we've been talking about her amazing book called Not Just
a Dog, and as a venory specialist, I will say again,
after I've read this book, I just absolutely loved it.
I reached out to Laura and I was like, I
(14:47):
have to have you on my podcast because I really
wanted people to check this out. Now I know you've
actually authored a couple other books. Do you mind just
telling us about your other book. I know you have
a book Detective Barks a Lot and the Dogs with
No Names. This is a book that I read a
couple of years ago, But tell me about that book also.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
So yeah, I thought one came out a couple of
years ago. It's a kid's book, and I wanted to
write a book that sort of gently educated kids about
how to treat animals and how to think about where
their pets come from. And so in this book, Detective
Barks a Lot is a dog who has aspirations of
being a detective, and he figures out that the local
(15:30):
pet store is getting their puppies from a barn that's
just filled with dogs that don't get out of their cages,
and he wants to set them all free. So it's
sort of a caper where Detective Barcelot and his best
friends Slaber McGee figure out how to get all those
dogs out of their cages and into happy homes. I
really thought it would be a fun challenge to try
to approach that subject, which could have some darkness to it,
(15:54):
but have it not be dark at all, have it
just be fun and something that kids would love reading
and something that would make make kids go. Let me
make sure I'm not getting my puppy from a place
like that. So I don't want to ruffle any feathers by,
you know, approaching that subject the wrong way. I hope
I didn't. I don't think I did. But it was
a fun challenge.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
No, it's all really important information, even veterinarians. Some veterinarians
are really into rescue, and some want a particular breed,
so they are a very pro up here bread and
I always say, one in doubt, do what feels right,
but do your research. Some people want a particular color,
they want a particular shedding hair coat type, they want
(16:37):
a particular personality.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
And I will say, you know, one in doubt, do
your research.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
And the AKAC has great information, so the American Kennel Club.
So if you know you want like a friendly dog
who's family oriented, who's eighty pounds, who sheds a lot,
who's super friendly, who's easy to train and very food motivated,
then you know a lot of families will get a
golden retriever. So I say, one in doubt, do your research.
There are also some rescues for breed specific rescues. So
(17:06):
there's one big one in the Twin Cities where I
live called Ragum, and that's one that's a rescue specifically
for golden retrievers. I am a huge advocate of you know,
don't breed or buy when homeless animals die, just knowing
that so many animals are euthanized. But at the same time,
as a veterinarian, I will say I have had to
have the hard decision of euthanizing dogs that have attacked
(17:26):
children or that have had behavioral issues, and you know,
we hate to do that. We always want to be
able to save lives when we can, but when in doubt,
you know, talk to your veterinarian, do your research, talk
to an animal rescue. Right there's a lot of great
options out there for everyone, So don't worry. We don't
mind the controversy, you know, it's something that's an important
topic for people to talk about. I have one pure
(17:47):
bread that I happen to get about five months ago,
and for some reason, all my dogs have had previous
parblu virus. I like to rescue them when the owner
surrenders them they decide they don't want to treat for
four to five thousand dollars, and so I was really
fortunate to be able to rescue my last dog, even
if it was purebread from barbovirus, which, on an unrelated note,
(18:10):
reiterates the importance of preventative medicine.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Right. A lot of times in the shelter we.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Do see animals that have been surrendered because of potentially
costly care that could have been prevented. That's why we
call it preventative medicine, by just keeping their pet on
year round heartworm disease or on a de armor, or
making sure they go through a full puppy or kitten
booster vaccine series so they don't get things like barbovirus.
(18:36):
So again, really emphasizes the importance of preventative medicine.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Yeah, I love bringing that up, and I'm a big
fan of the breed specific rescues, but I also love
that you got your purebread, adorable Frenchy puppy from a rescue.
And the shelter that I worked at, Austin Pet's Alive
has a Carvo ward. So a lot of people don't
realize a that rescues have puppies. There are plenty of
puppies in animal rescue if you're ever interested in that.
(19:01):
But also how treatable parvo is. I didn't realize it,
and I'm a big dog person, but the puppies at APA,
like from all of Texas, they get all the parvo puppies.
They have a ward where they can isolate them and
treat them, and they have like a ninety eight or
ninety nine percent save rate for those puppies. They just
can't be exposed to any other animals while they're being treated.
So that was a really cool thing for me to
(19:22):
learn about. So if you're ever looking for a puppy,
Austin Pets Live has plenty of them, and they're treated
and they're healthy and they're never going to get parvo again.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
All right, In the last few minutes, tell us what's
coming down the pike. What are you working at right now?
I am working on a couple of different documentaries. The
one that I'm most excited about, Inside the Mind of
a Dog, will be coming out next year and Justine
Lee is one of the.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
Expert veterinarians in it. You did such a good job.
So that is still being edited and so look for
that next year. That's one of the main things I'm
focusing on right now, and I'm finally I put this
book out a year go and I'm just now starting
to promote it because I was working one hundred thousand
hours a week at a shelter and didn't have time
(20:07):
to promote it when I put it out, So I
am just spreading the word about the podcast and the book,
and the podcast is doing really well, so that'll be
my primary focus aside from the documentary for the rest
of the year. Rescued by a Dog sounds similar to
Not Just a Dog, so check them out both. And
if you know somebody who is saved by a dog,
(20:27):
please please get in touch with me Rescued by a
Dog Podcast at gmail dot com and I will interview
them for the podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Awesome, great information. Again, if you've been rescued by a
dog or even a cat, I will put in a
plug for Laura. You can contact her at her website
also at Laurabama dot com. And again, awesome stocking stepper.
Not Just a Dog and not to ruin the book,
but sella The main person in this book actually gets
(20:55):
separated by the dog, and it's about the reconnection and
the strength of the bond. Definitely worth checking out for
any pet lover in your life. Thank you so much,
Laura really appreciate you taking the time to be on
today's podcast.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Thank you so much for having me. Always a pleasure
talking to you.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Well.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
That brings us to the end of today's show.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Find me at doctor Justinelee dot com, on Facebook or
Instagram at doctor Justine Lee, or email me your pet
questions at doctor.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Justine at petlife radio dot com.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
With that, we're at a time and we want to
thank Lord Thomas and Mark Winter, our producer, for making
this show possible.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
See you at the next episode.
Speaker 5 (21:28):
Let's Talk Pets every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com.
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