Vicki Croke is a columnist for The Boston Globe and is the author of The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

An enthralling behind-the-scenes look at real veterinary emergencies

The Foster Hospital for Small Animals--part of the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and one of the most respected animal hospitals in the country--has opened its doors and collaborated on a book that reveals the everyday struggles and dramas at an animal emergency ward. Boston Globe reporter Vicki Croke has gathered the most gripping, fascinating, and triumphant stories of saving animals in times of crisis--from cats and dogs to iguanas and horses. This journalistic account delivers both heart-pounding action and heart-wrenching tales of loss and recovery--combining split-second medical decisions, cutting-edge veterinary medical technology, and the restorative power of the bond between pets and their owners.

Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine has the largest emergency medicine training program in the country. The only veterinary school in New England, Tufts treats more than 24,000 animals each year.