Animal welfare books

Please visit the link below to learn more about ordering our three books.
Each much different, but all support needy animals!
www.amazon.com/author/romymaimon

Free in Spirit

Animal Lovers

My Creative Revolution

Free in Spirit
www.amazon.com/author/romymaimon

"Occasionally the bond between people, and the story their life tells, is worth sharing to remind others that no matter what life throws at you the unkown is worth believing in. David Dean's life ended in 2010 after a long and horrific struggle, but his gift of life to Romy keeps his spirit alive. And the crows that visit her each year always make her smile."

David Dean donated a kidney to me and saved my life in 1999….Mother’s Day to be exact. We were together 17 years, but as life progresses, so do people, and sometimes that leads to the end of relationships.

Unfortunately, he broke his neck in 2008, not long after our separation and he died in 2010 after a long and horrific, horrific struggle to stay alive. It was horrific for me, and his family as well, to watch the horror of his situation and ultimately not be able to do anything to help as he could only move his eyes and mouth…and that was difficult as well. The time was miserable for me more so because of our strong bond, both mentally and the fact that he was literally a part of me. Difficult to explain, but let’s just say that my hair was pin straight before the transplant and my ringlets now come straight from him.

It took a long time to find my way through many things, but I knew that I wanted to keep his spirit alive more than just in me, and also do something again to celebrate my interest in community and my love (and his) of animals. The ideas came and went, and came again, and I allowed myself to let that happen until I was really ready.

Finally in the beginning of 2017 it all came together…and it’s finally done!! It is nothing grand or extreme, amazing or brilliant. I just wanted to make it simple and yet celebrate life and the possibilities…and the magic of what is around us if we believe. It is a 24 page book which tells our story through illustrations (thank you, Diane Collins), photos, art, transplant and paralysis resources…and a little magic thrown in…yes, true magic…think crows! Hhhmmm…

I also wanted it to bring hope and connection to others who are either struggling with serious illnesses, know someone who is, had someone save their life, or just need a reason to have hope…whatever the situation. To accomplish this I have made the book interactive as well so that people all over the country..the world?...can be a part of that connection and hope. That's why you are here hopefully!

My goal is to have this book in all of the doctor's offices, hospitals, clinics, businesses and anywhere else people may need a smile and a way to share their own thoughts and story...let's see how it goes.

Animal Lovers
www.amazon.com/author/romymaimon

Book Review by by Carol M. Upton
Infinity Publishing
Soft Cover, 2006, $18.85
ISBN: 0-7414-3642-6
Available on Amazon

“My hope is that this book will be the beginning of another stage in my life, as well as for the many of you out there who spend every day suffering alongside the animals you care for and, of course, for the animals themselves.” Romy A. Maimon

Animal Lovers is a heartfelt, in-depth look at the amazing angels who dedicate themselves to the rescue of animals in need.

Romy Maimon dreamed of making a real difference in the world, but it wasn’t until she began working in a veterinary clinic and fostered a mother cat with her five-day-old kittens that the dream took shape. Her next step was to devote her life to feral cats, rescuing as many as she could and finding homes for those she couldn’t keep. Along the way, she connected with others like herself, people determined to care for the animals who have been neglected, abused or discarded for one reason or another.

Maimon recognized and wanted to convey the commonalities shared by those who dedicate themselves to a cause. She interviewed animal rescuers all across the United States. Here they share their humble beginnings and diverse rescue experiences. They demonstrate how caring for those of other species creates a better world for all. There are those like Florida’s Kirsten Levine, who works with the media encouraging pet adoptions, or Oregon’s Sandy Taggart, who sold her home to be able to afford a rescue property. Natalie Owens of New Mexico, like many rescuers, shelters abandoned poultry, cats, llamas and horses as well as dogs, simply because they appear at the gates.

The overpopulation, abuse and euthanasia statistics quoted in this book boggle the mind, but so does the devotion of animal rescue workers. A common theme emerges; these animal lovers gain heart from watching frightened, homeless creatures regain their trust and grow into their new surroundings. Abandoned creatures ask only to be loved and demonstrate endless joy upon realizing they have finally found their forever homes.

Maimon knows the world doesn’t change overnight, but dreams do come true. This book takes readers on an illuminating journey and reminds us what is possible through commitment and love. No one who reads it will ever be quite the same.

______________________
Animal Lovers was accepted into the wonderful program, Books on the T. This program helps promote reading and learning by distributing books throughout transit systems in different cities for people to read and leave for others to do the same. Animal Lovers can be found in Boston, so keep an eye out! More information at http://www.booksonthet.com

Excerpts from the Book...

So, here I sit trying to write something that you will all find worthy. Yet, my cat has decided that petting him is much more important than what you think of me. His name is “Panda” and even he would tell you he is extremely spoiled. He is how I began my transformation into the rescue world approximately eight years ago.

My story, although not as interesting as some, must have something to do with how I got to this point. You cannot tell by looking at me or meeting me, but I was born with a birth defect that had a great chance of killing me or at least limiting my abilities at a young age. Then again, I was obviously also born with a strong heart and a mind of my own because here I am to pass my thoughts on to you lucky people. You learn a lot about life when you feel crappy most of the time. You learn a lot about what life is supposed to mean. Unfortunately, you also come to understand that life is more that who you are. More than what people see of you, and that can be hard when so few others feel the same. I wanted to be so many things as a child. An archeologist, a zookeeper, a National Geographic photographer, a famous artist, a forensic pathologist, a racecar driver (yep) and so much more. I wanted to be someone who traveled the world, had amazing adventures and met amazing people. I wanted to be fulfilled and to be remembered for being “someone." Somewhere along the way my dreams swept pass me and eventually reality set in. Soon, I was just doing what was expected and trying to figure out what went wrong. How I had disappointed myself so and I was only in my early twenties. One day as I was wasting time until my next tedious day at work something happened that helped me to understand more of myself. The chance to work with animals at a veterinary hospital. I remember being so happy that I smiled for days. It was a starting position and the pay was low. But, it felt like it was a beginning to something unknown and hopefully amazing. I enjoyed learning the medical aspects of my job and was happy that I was opening myself up to new dimensions of the world. Yet, after a few months I knew something was still missing. The animals that I worked with had people to take care of them and love them at the end of the day. They had security, a warm place to sleep and plenty of food. They had homes. My heart knew there was more to this animal adventure. And then came “Panda,“ his mother and his siblings and I finally understood what it was. They were only five days old and his mother was a cute Tortie with an attitude. The entire gang went to my house and proceeded to spend two months making my days hectic and my nights sleepless. I cleaned them, cared for them, played with them, named them and then found homes for them all when they were ready. Except “Panda,” I kept him because he had literally crawled into my hands before he could even see and snuggled there for an hour. I also thought he was a girl. Who knew.

That was the beginning of my understanding of who I am and what my life means. It was the opening of my heart to those whom no one notices or cares about, the sick, the lonely and the needy. It was the beginning of finding myself. I began to look down every street as I drove. I looked for movement in the grass on the side of highways as I walked down the street. I soon became the person who carried food and blankets in her car and fed the colonies of ferals in the community. I quickly rescued as many as I could afford and began to learn some of the many nuances of the rescue communities. I took in shelter cats that were going to be euthanized and found them homes. I worked with clients at my job to help them place their rescues or own pets in other good homes. I even stalked an extremely feral cat that we named “Jethro” until he finally became so cold and hungry that he gave in. Of course, only after he left me with several wounds. He became a very sweet boy, even after everyone said he could not be “tamed.” Amazing what a little love and lots and lots and lots of patience can do.

So, here I sit eight years later and along the way I have found that my “true calling” came to me through this little black and white kitten. I have found that there are many others who understand my feelings, and for their own reasons, have devoted their time and lives to helping in their own way. I also know that each and every one of these individuals is someone important in their own way. I have come to understand that every one of us is searching for something in ourselves through this cause. Perhaps a purpose in life, perhaps a way to feel needed, or perhaps just a chance to give back to those around us. There are many, many of you out there who go unrecognized for your efforts and are driven only by your hearts.

Many of us dream of making a real difference in this world for our own reasons and even though we have to pay our bills and go to work everyday wonder what it would be like to be “someone.” Well, you are all someone and each animal that you have saved now has a warm place to sleep, food to eat and a place to call home, or have ended their lives knowing you were there. I have not accomplished what I felt I could in my life and still long to do more. I have not helped nearly as many animals as I could have and have wanted to. But, along the way I have found that there are people in this world, who like me, have this need to try to “save lives” so that we can feel like we have made a difference in this world for those who cannot speak for themselves. “Panda,” on the other hand has now decided that his food bowl is the meaning of life at this moment. How quickly love fades.

Q&A with Romy...

1. How did you learn about the stray/needy animal population and what made you want to help?
Well, when someone comes to you and says that the trash men are coming and there is a litter of newborns and their mother about to be dumped in the truck…how can you not help, even if you are not fully aware of what it is all about! How can you not help when you see ten strays standing on a corner waiting for handouts and little kittens huddled in the cold on a sidewalk. How can you not help when you drive by a dog lying on the side of a highway that had been hit by a car three days before and left to die. What kind of person would you have to be to think these things normal and acceptable? It only takes being involved once to understand that once is not enough! Since becoming involved in the world of rescue I cannot feed my own animals (or myself for that matter) without feeling guilty that they have so much and others have nothing and are suffering. It has become a double-edged sword that I knew nothing of before that day at work so long ago.

2. How long have you been rescuing and how many have you saved approximately?
I began my rescue journey about eight years ago and have not saved nearly as many as I would have liked. Most of my rescues have been cats, but one dog named “Cassie” was very special and the most work. After major surgery to repair her broken body and two months of cage rest and care. I found her a great home despite what people said about her. She’s a wonderful “Pit Bull” and proves wrong the old wives tale that certain breeds are just “bad.” I also saved a cow from dying a slow death in 2003 and other strange rescue tales, but that’s another book.

3. What personal and financial sacrifices have you made to help these animals?
Let’s just say that I would probably have substantially more savings than I do now if I had never began the rescue life. But, this is not something you think of when you know there is a life in need and you fully understand what that means. I have spent many hours cleaning, caring for and giving attention to those I have rescued and spending even more time worrying about those that I have not helped or don’t know about. And, that’s when I was not at work doing the same thing for other peoples’ animals at work or cleaning up after my own spoiled ones. It can be very hard physically, and definitely mentally, to be responsible for the many aspects of rescuing, helping and worrying about the many needy animals. From the actual rescue to the cleaning and playing and finally looking for the appropriate homes. This is why I wanted the world to know what it takes to “live the life” because I have not done nearly as much as the others who help the animals every single day.

4. Do you feel you have to be an “animal lover” to understand the moral scale of this problem?
When I came up with the questions for this book I knew this one was the most important one of all somehow. It is not a trick question, but one that shows the reality of the world through the different answers and views. I dare you to ask yourself this question and not find yourself thinking about life more than usual and in different terms. My answer is no, absolutely not. The millions of homeless animals are just one of the symbols of the human condition which I see as laziness, ignorance, greed and stupidity. I am sure that comes across hard and makes me seem like a bad person, but this is a book about views and reality and that is mine.

5. Why do you feel society as a whole is so unaffected by this problem?
I have found that many of my answers have already been given by the insightful people in this book, but I still must say that it is like many other “annoyances” the general public has become accustomed to. How many people do you see walk by a homeless person in need without a second glance! How often do you see people walk over trash on the sidewalk as if they don't actually see it. It’s the same for the homeless animal on the side of the road. If they don't acknowledge it it doesn't exist or matter, therefore they do not have to take responsibility for their actions…or lack of action. And, I guess I have to acknowledge that many people just think that the cat on the sidewalk is supposed to be outside and it is “normal” that they look so thin and scurry around. They can eat a mouse for dinner and be just fine, right? But, I just can't get myself to accept these people and this ignorance, so the result was this book.

6. What is your advice to people who care but do nothing, or don't know what to do?
Well, first figure out what you really care about or want to learn about and what you can realistically assist with. Then educate yourself with what animal organizations are locally available and contact them. Find out what they need and if there is anything you can and want to help with. Whether it is volunteering, fostering, community education, office work or anything else. Also, go online and look up animal rescue groups in your area and others across the country and see what help they may need and at the same time educate yourself on the cause so you can teach others as well. And, don't forget EVERYONE can help by donating old blankets, beds, towels, toys, food, bowls, old doghouses, hay, and many other things that we take for granted and discard without a second thought every day. You can request pamphlets, handouts and more from local and national rescue organizations and place them at your work, hand them out around your town or put them in your out-going mail. You can volunteer to let local rescues and shelters have adoption days at your store or shop. You can put bumper stickers on your car talking about spay/neuter, adoption and other important topics or you can use the spay/neuter stamps on your outgoing mail. You can start or be a part of the Feral Friends Network in your neighborhood or any of the other organizations and groups that involve community help. You can email your local news channels and ask them to do stories about your local animal shelters or groups to get the word out. You can sign up for email action alerts from rescues, shelters or organizations and forward them to others when you receive them. As well, you can begin events in your town such as asking your community to donate their old doghouses to the local shelters and needy families and include your local business in the event. (I came up with a “blueprint” for this kind of project if anyone is interested).
Most of all…if you see an animal, any animal, in need, hurt, lost, abused, chained or in distress…don't drive or walk by. Do something! Pick that animal up and get it help or report it to your local animal control right away. (Find out about their policies first if you can) Most times your call will be anonymous and will make a world of difference to that animal in the long run. There is so much you can do if you want to and it is never too late to start as you have learned from the people in this book. Just close your eyes and think about your own mortality and what you would want done if you were in their position and suffering, scared, lonely and then try ignoring the problem.

7. What do you think can be done on a broad scale?
The first is for the largest and most influential animal organization, the ASPCA, to use their money to educate society and help in a much more pertinent way than I think they do. For example: Make educational commercials for TV (since I'm sure 90% of the “average public” watch TV daily) that are aired every day on all national network channels. Put educational advertisements in each local and national newspapers and popular magazines such as People and Time every issue. Put more on other public viewing venues, such as the internet, buses, taxis on a continual basis. Work with state shelters to begin programs that help small local shelters and rescue groups work with their communities in every way. They can also use their money to begin a monthly national free spay/neuter program (perhaps fund a mobile spay/neuter clinic for stray/ferals in EACH county) that involves every veterinary hospital in the country, no matter how large or small. Or they can voluntarily use their money to fund the already existing programs to make them more available and professional. They can use their name, contacts and money to do so much more than what they do and have a responsibility to the animals and society that they have not fulfilled to this point, and may never without some push from the public. Most of all they can use the donations unsuspecting people send to them to actually help the animals they say they will and stop using it to send needless gifts and bribes! That goes for most all the other large organizations as well. There is no excuse for “big business” to get away with so much in this world while the defenseless suffer and the small organizations try to make the best with nothing. And, the biggest change and most sweeping change of all that would benefit the cause would be for the government to actually punish people accused of animal abuse and neglect (as well as much more strict laws pertaining to puppy-mills and pet stores) rather than just fine them or lessen their punishment for all to see and know that they can do the same without reprimand. It just sends the wrong message.

My Creative Revolution!
www.amazon.com/author/romymaimon

We can't wait to see what you have come up with after you finish coloring the designs in this unique coloring book.

A tattoo? A painting? A stencil? A piece of jewelry?
More than 40 pages of ideas to start your creative revolution!

This coloring book is a great gift for the creative people in your life and to help needy animals at the same time! Visit https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01JQTIN36

You can also find a few of these designs in the November and December 2017 editions of Color On! Magazine. My designs...colored by other people! https://www.etsy.com/listing/555136228/november-2017-pdf-issue

Here's just a small (copyrighted) sample of what you will find inside this book...(all designs are copyrighted)

As long as I can remember people have been telling me I should write a book about my life. This comment has usually been accompanied by a look of a mix of amazement, pity and a little fear thrown in. At times a comment such as “That sucks,” or “Not sure how you do it,” and my favorite one I will never forget, “Why do you even bother?” have also been uttered in the same conversation... www.arewefine.simplesite.com

Animal Lovers book - Found in a little free library, Prescott, AZ