The Chronicle of a Dog Rescuer

Steven Kotler was 40 years old, single, and facing an existential crisis when he met Lila, a woman devoted to animal rescue. "Love me, love my dogs" was her rule, and Steven took it to heart. Spurred to move by a housing crisis in Los Angeles, Steven, Lila, and their eight dogs—then ten, then 20, and then they lost count—bought a postage-stamp-size farm in Chimayo, New Mexico.

In his book, A Small Furry Prayer, Kotler chronicles their adventures at Rancho de Chihuahua, the remarkable sanctuary they created for their special-needs pack.

On Tuesday, November 9 at noon at Westport Library, Kotler will talk about his book and about the dog rescue movement, one of the largest—and least understood—underground movements in America. Free and open to the public, the talk will take place in the Library's McManus Room, and books will be available for purchase and signing afterward.

     Kotler is the author of the novel, The Angle Quickest for Flight, a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, and the nonfiction West of Jesus, a 2006 PEN West finalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, GQ, Wired, Discover, Popular Science, Details, Outside, National Geographic, and elsewhere; and he writes "The Playing Field," a blog about the science of sport for PsychologyToday.com.

For more information, check the Library's website, www.westportlibrary.org, or call 203-291-4800.