If Animals Could Speak by Chris Gray

This is the second book in the series If Animals Could Speak and relates the events of the six years following the end of book one. These tales continue to explore the loyal friendship of the many animal companions whose company I’ve enjoyed. As mentioned in the first book, many of the stories I share here are humorous since animals of all species and ages can be truly comical. But life doesn’t always go according to plan, so some reminiscences are quite sad. However, most tales just tell the story of animals being themselves and displaying their own brand of intelligence and wisdom, patience and compassion, curiosity and sense of adventure. Having spent the previous 11 years observing, experiencing and enjoying the antics of my companions I still felt the best way to learn about them was to stop, to watch and to think about the actions and reactions I witnessed. If you’ve already read my first collection of stories, you’ll know I believe animals aren’t dumb. And after that first decade I also realised that I’d only just started to understand their language and translate it into human-speak. My menagerie over this current period included six dogs, seven cats, four horses, but still no ‘partridge in a pear tree’. As you read these stories you’ll notice I’ve again included the mistakes I made and the lessons I learned. All my life I’ve treated animals with dignity and respect. I also mention attitudes that slowly changed during this time. Once again, I sincerely hope that those who read this book will enjoy my companions’ adventures in their own right. And if you gain a little more insight into how your own animal friends relate, either with you or with each other, then I have achieved my goal.