Judy Applefeld's book The Day My Life Went to the Dogs is a group of connecting stories filled with the humor, pathos, and richness pets bring to us.  The illustrated book includes wonderful cartoons that catch the personality of the animals Judy has encountered throughout her life. Judy starts with an introduction of who she is, the influences of some of the people who helped shape her character, and why she sees things as she does.

In the beginning, she provides the back story of her drive to own a dog. Next, she gets her first puppy, and so the stories begin. She takes you through the ongoing changes in her life as a succession of pets entered and left her heart and home through the years.  From injured rescues to orphans, canines to avians, she relates how she began to understand the differences in each pet and how to integrate them into her family. 

Each chapter explores how the group dynamics proved ever changing with each new addition or loss. The culmination of these tales comes together in the final chapter “Things I've Learned from my Pets,” a collection of useful maxims, anecdotes, and learnings, based on the thirty years of experience and adventures that come with pet ownership.
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