The Call of the Wild

By Jack London

Buck is a big dog living a comfortable life in California. When gold is discovered in Canada, he is stolen from his home, taken up to the Klondike region, and forced to pull dog sleds. As time passes, Buck discovers the instincts of his ancestors and learns how to survive in the wild, endure freezing conditions, and deal with cruel men and dogs. Finally, Buck finds a kind master, but in the end, the call of the wild may be too strong. This is an unabridged version of Jack London's classic American survival story, first published in 1903.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781467756440

Jack London

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.

Book preview

Call

Chapter I. Into The Primitive

"Old longings nomadic leap,

Chafing at custom’s chain;

Again from its brumal sleep

Wakens the ferine strain."

Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost.

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge Miller’s place, it was called. It stood back from the road, half hidden among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool veranda that ran around its four sides. The house was approached by gravelled driveways which wound about through wide-spreading lawns and under the interlacing boughs of tall poplars. At the rear things were on even a more spacious scale than at the front. There were great stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad servants’ cottages, an endless and orderly array of outhouses, long grape arbors, green pastures, orchards, and berry patches. Then there was the pumping plant for the artesian well, and the big cement tank where Judge Miller’s boys took their morning plunge and kept cool in the hot afternoon.

And over this great demesne Buck ruled. Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life. It was true, there were other dogs, There could not but be other dogs on so vast a place, but they did not count. They came and went, resided in the populous kennels, or lived obscurely in the recesses of the house after the fashion of Toots, the Japanese pug, or Ysabel, the Mexican hairless,—strange creatures that rarely put nose out of doors or set foot to ground. On the other hand, there were the fox terriers, a score of them at least, who yelped fearful promises at Toots and Ysabel looking out of the windows at them and protected by a legion of housemaids armed with brooms and mops.

But Buck was neither house-dog nor kennel-dog. The whole realm was his. He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge’s sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge’s daughters, on long twilight or early morning rambles; on wintry nights he lay at the Judge’s feet before the roaring library fire; he carried the Judge’s grandsons on his back, or rolled them in the grass, and guarded their footsteps through wild adventures down to the fountain in the stable yard, and even beyond, where the paddocks were, and the berry patches. Among the terriers he stalked imperiously, and Toots and Ysabel he utterly ignored, for he was king,—king over all creeping, crawling, flying things of Judge Miller’s place, humans included.

His father, Elmo, a huge St. Bernard, had been the Judge’s inseparable companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father. He was not so large,—he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds,—for his mother, Shep, had been a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred and forty pounds, to which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right royal fashion. During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived the life of a sated aristocrat; he had a fine pride in himself, was even a trifle egotistical, as country gentlemen sometimes become because of their insular situation. But he had saved himself by not becoming a mere pampered house-dog. Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a health preserver.

And this was the manner of dog Buck was in the fall of 1897, when the Klondike strike dragged men from all the world into the frozen North. But Buck did not read the newspapers, and he did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener’s helpers, was an undesirable acquaintance. Manuel had one besetting sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting weakness—faith in a system; and this made his damnation certain. For to play a system requires money, while the wages of a gardener’s helper do not lap over the needs of a wife and numerous progeny.

The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers’ Association, and the boys were busy organizing an athletic club, on the memorable night of Manuel’s treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off through the orchard on what Buck imagined was merely a stroll. And with the exception of a solitary man, no one saw them arrive at the little flag station known as College Park. This man talked with Manuel, and money chinked between them.

You might wrap up the goods before you deliver ’m, the stranger said gruffly, and Manuel doubled a piece of stout rope around Buck’s neck under the collar.

Twist it, an’ you’ll choke ’m plentee, said Manuel, and the stranger grunted a ready affirmative.

Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity. To be sure, it was an unwonted performance: but he had learned to trust in men he knew, and to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own. But when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger’s hands, he growled menacingly. He had merely intimated his displeasure, in his pride believing that to intimate was to command. But to his surprise the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. In quick rage he sprang at the man, who met him halfway, grappled him close by the throat, and with a deft twist threw him over on his back. Then the rope tightened mercilessly, while Buck struggled in a fury, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his great chest panting futilely. Never in all his life had he been so vilely treated, and never in all his life had he been so angry. But his strength ebbed, his eyes glazed, and he knew nothing when the train was flagged and the two men threw him into the baggage car.

The next he knew, he was dimly aware that his tongue was hurting and that he was being jolted along in some kind of a conveyance. The hoarse shriek of a locomotive whistling a crossing told him where he was. He had travelled too often with the Judge not to know the sensation of riding in a baggage car. He opened his eyes, and into them came the unbridled anger of a kidnapped king. The man sprang for his throat, but Buck was too quick for him. His jaws closed on the hand, nor did they relax till his senses were choked out of him once more.

Yep, has fits, the man said, hiding his mangled hand from the baggageman, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle. I’m takin’ ’m up for the boss to ‘Frisco. A crack dog-doctor there thinks that he can cure ’m.

Concerning that night’s ride, the man spoke most eloquently for himself, in a little shed back of a saloon on the San Francisco water front.

All I get is fifty for it, he grumbled; an’ I wouldn’t do it over for a thousand, cold cash.

His hand was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief, and the right trouser leg was ripped from knee to ankle.

How much did the other mug get? the saloon-keeper demanded.

A hundred, was the reply. Wouldn’t take a sou less, so help me.

That makes a hundred and fifty, the saloon-keeper calculated; and he’s worth it, or I’m a squarehead.

The kidnapper undid the bloody wrappings and looked at his lacerated hand. If I don’t get the hydrophoby—

It’ll be because you was born to hang, laughed the saloon-keeper. Here, lend me a hand before you pull your freight, he added.

Dazed, suffering intolerable pain from throat and tongue, with the life half throttled out of him, Buck attempted to face his tormentors. But he was thrown down and choked repeatedly, till they succeeded in filing the heavy brass collar from off his neck. Then the rope was removed, and he was flung into a cagelike crate.

There he lay for the remainder of the weary night, nursing his wrath and wounded pride. He could not understand what it all meant. What did they want with him, these strange men? Why were they keeping him pent up in this narrow crate? He did not know why, but he felt oppressed by the vague sense of impending calamity. Several times during the night he sprang to his feet when the shed door rattled open, expecting to see the Judge, or the boys at least. But each time it was the bulging face of the saloon-keeper that peered in at him by the sickly light of a tallow candle. And each time the joyful bark that trembled in Buck’s throat was twisted into a savage growl.

But the saloon-keeper let him alone, and in the morning four men entered and picked up the crate. More tormentors, Buck decided, for they were evil-looking creatures, ragged and unkempt; and he stormed and raged at them through the bars. They only laughed

Reviews for The Call of the Wild

[othemts · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Believe it or not, I've never read The Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London, which one would think is a requirement of being a kid in America. And I still haven't read it, although on a whim I listened to my library's audiobook copy, albeit not very carefully. Narrated in an appropriately macho fashion by Frank Muller, The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck a farm dog who is kidnapped from Northern California and forced to pull sleds for for miners in the Yukon gold rush. A cushy pet learns to fight for food and compete for leadership of the pack through fighting and violence, and eventually becomes alpha dog in a wild wolf pack after his owner dies.Yes friends, before I read this book I knew it had something to do with Alaska and dogs, but I had no idea that the entire book is about a dog from a dog's point of view. Granted, the book is very symbolic in that we humans sit very tenuously on the edge of civilization and brutality and savageness (and London wrote this before the World Wars, the Holocaust, and all the horrors of the 20th century that tested humanity). Still, as a book about dogs it's a very good and accurate look at what may be going on in a dog's mind.

[stevenjohntait · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Everyone should read it.

[ron18-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's pretty hard to find fault with this story or the way it's told. It was particularly engaging to read while my family is in the process of rehabilitating a very fearful rescue dog. Jack London is among the go-to authors for perspective on how we think when you pare away frivolous comforts - and that's exemplified in CotW.

[john_warner-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I initially read this American classic, I was in either elementary or high school. It had all the elements to entice a young boy. It is an adventure which occurs during the Yukon gold rush. The story's protagonist is Buck, an 140 lb St. Bernard and Scotch Collie mix, who is abducted from an easy life as the pet in St. Clara, California, and sold to dog traders who eventually sells him to mail couriers as a sled dog in the Yukon Territory. Buck will need to tap in to his more primeval instincts if he is to survive the harsh northern conditions. The third reason I chose this book is that it was short at less than 100 pages. I had recently read Moby Dick and I needed a break!It has been good revisiting some of the classics I read as a youth. They become more enjoyable when you understand better literary themes and metaphors.

[col2910_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis.......The story takes place in the extreme conditions of the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush, where strong sled dogs were in high demand. After Buck, a domesticated dog, is snatched from a pastoral ranch in California, he is sold into a brutal life as a sled dog. The novella details Buck's struggle to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he receives from humans, other dogs, and nature. He eventually sheds the veneer of civilization altogether and instead relies on primordial instincts and the lessons he has learned to become a respected and feared leader in the wild.Published back in 1903 after the author had spent sometime in the aforementioned Yukon.I was looking for something a little bit different and quick to read after getting bogged down by another book which I wasn't enjoying. I had previously heard of this book, hasn't everyone(?) but can't recall reading it ever during my near half-century of years, not even in the dim and distant days of school. Glad I made the effort though.Gripping, exciting, moving.......a testament of an indomitable spirit, bravery, determination, loyalty, fearlessness, and probably another dozen or so admirable attributes. Sad in places, but ultimately an uplifting and rewarding read.I wouldn't put it past me finding more from London in the future.4 from 5Down-loaded free from the internet.

[heggiep · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book a few pages at a time (distracted by Facebook, Instagram & Twitter - the usual suspects). When I finally finished it I felt I had read a wonderful, though quite violent, story. Yes, despite flaws, a great tale.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it's because I'm not a dog, but I just don't find it interesting being in the mind of Buck. I was very excited to read this because so many people raved about it, but it just didn't hold my interest even as a child.

[firewild · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Trust, betrayal, loyalty and animal cruelty. A heart wrenching story about the life of dogs during the gold rush from an animal POV. I am not always a fan of such an approach but it worked well here. Highly engaging (worked well for an audiobook) but not black and white, as I could relate even to the most "evil" characters. I guess that's why it's a "classic" (mental note: "Read more classics"=).

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another childhood favorite.

[lovinglit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story is written from the perspective of Buck, the dog. He is large, he is faithful and pragmatic, and he is kidnapped by a worker on the ranch he lives on, and sold to a trader who sends him north to run with a team dragging sleds. Poor Buck is mistreated, and faces a hard run. It is not just humans who are cruel to him, other dogs resent his size and presence, and battles for position as alpha male take place. The dog team are run to the ground, and Bucks saving grace is his size, strength and stamina. He is passed to and from inept and cruel owners until he finally meets an owner he can trust and bond with.It's a nice, if somewhat violent, story. Nothing too deep, but a read that carries you along.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, the best part about this book was that it was narrated by Jeff Bridges. I love animal books but I feel as if I really would have enjoyed this much more in my youth. The Call of the Wild tells the story of Buck, a mixed breed dog who is stolen from cozy home and his lush life as a house dog to be taken up north to be a sled dog during the Yukon Gold Rush. Buck quickly acclimates to the tough life and sets himself apart from the other dogs with his strength, smarts, and cunning. Told entirely through Buck's perspectives, this was one of the first popular books that had an animal as a narrator. To me the most interesting parts were about the wilderness, the scenery, and the people; it was a fascinating time during the late 1800s! Even though it is a little violent, this is a great kids book, especially for animal lovers!

[bibleblaster · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was fun to read this again, as I had only the vaguest recollection from reading it as a kid. Refreshingly unsentimental in its depiction of the natural world, it raises important questions about yearning for a life "beyond good and evil." A walk on the wild side...

[trilliams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's no way in hell my dogs think like this.

[kimmclean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall I liked the book even though there was a lot of blood and cruelty. In this story Buck a dog who lived the easy life at an estate was not use to the ways of the wild. The wilderness taught him to adapt or to die and he chose to adapt. This book takes you through the joys and griefs of Buck's life.

[jimmaclachlan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wrong edition, but after going through 10 pages of different editions with no end in sight, I got tired. Mine is by Random House in 2009 & read by Jeff Daniels (the star of Newsroom on HBO). Daniels' reading of this story is FANTASTIC.

I let far too many years go by between reads of this story. London paints a wonderfully brutal picture of the Klondike gold rush as seen in relation to Buck. He doesn't anthropomorphize terribly, but I found the hereditary memories of the primitive man a bit much. Still, the point of the title was well made.

I found Buck's breeding to be especially pleasing. One of my best dogs was a Great Dane/mostly Shepard cross. Maverick looked like a really big, relatively short haired German Shepard & had more personality than most people. He was sweet as could be to 'his' people & animals, while he was pure death to any predator or other varmint. He would literally lay next to a lost chick & howl in despair. He carried an orphaned kitten in his mouth around the house for weeks until it was big enough to get around by itself, but killed many racoons, groundhogs, possums, & a weasel with one snap. (Oh, this is supposed to be about the book. Sorry, but Mav deserves to be remembered.

I got it wrong in my review of "The Sea Wolf" where I said London didn't think of wolves as a social animal. He did, in their own society. It's just that they were at odds with ours.

Anyway, this was obviously a classic that really hit home. It's not a terribly happy story. In fact, it's brutal, but fantastic. I can't recommend it highly enough, especially this particular version.

[deaconbernie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to believe, that with 82 years of reading all sorts of books, this the first American Classic from an American Classic author that I''ve read. I'll try more of the classics but this work is no where near the top of my list of books. Yes, it is quite an adventure for this dog and he certainly had very many experiences but I can't get to the level of classical literature.

[technolepsy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A sad, wonderful tale.

[bridgey_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My third book by the author, and a possible reread (I remember some parts but not sure if I ever finished it).Basically the tale tells the life of Buck ( a Saint Bernard-Scotch shepherd dog) and the life he leads. At times harrowing, we follow Buck as he is stolen from a comfortable life and sold as a sledge dog. He rediscovers the primordial instinct for survival and endures all hardships put upon him. This includes being beaten by humans, driven to near death on the sledge and still having to fight for mastery over his fellows canines.Not exactly a light-hearted read with death on nearly every page, but an excellent representation of the attitudes of the early 20th century and the will to survive.Would I recommend it? Everytime.Would I reread it? One day.Am I glad I read it? Definitely

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Buck's journey from domestic dog, to sled dog, to wolf. Aspects of nobility in returning to nature and civilisation as superior to 'wildness' mixed in a way that I found a little hard to reconcile, maybe colonialism?

[aine.fin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Decided to read this when I saw it on the Guardian's best 100 books list - thought I had read it when I was younger but realised that was White Fang. Follows Buck the domestic dog stolen from the south and brought north to be a sled dog. Absorbing quick read.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A terrific dog story, though hard to read at times because of all that Buck endures. I read it in the Library of America edition. Had never read it as a child as far as I recall; I note that some film versions are geared towards children and I can only assume (hope?) they have been bowdlerized; I wouldn't recommend this for children under 10 or 11 no matter their reading level.

[rheasly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jack London's classic story tells the intense story of Buck, a dog who is kidnapped for money during the Gold Rush. The Call of the Wild is not always easy to read because not only is the language somewhat different than modern writing, it also explicitly tells of the abuse Buck suffers from the hands of his various masters and fellow dogs. Even though Buck's story is at times violent, it is also a great adventure that is ultimately hopeful. London's novel provides great opportunity to discuss the difficult issues it raises, and gives readers an opportunity to enter the consciousness of a dog. While reading, it is a good idea to have discussions to explain tough language and tough episodes. Ages 10-14.

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was quite impressed by this book. I expected a simple, canine adventure story. I did get an adventure story, but the most interesting part was the inner journey. As you read it, keep in mind that Mr. London sets up Buck as a person. It's easy to identify with him, and more difficult to identify with most of the humans in the story. It's definitely food for thought.

[nathan7c7moore · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those books that I might have read before and forgotten about it. This was a pretty good book, I think my favorite part was that I picked up a new vocabulary word because the author over used it... "virility."

[hellhound007 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely better than "White Fang".

[melina_hiatt_easter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Call of the Wild centers around a dog named Buck and his survival in the human world. The book grapples with themes such as violences and nurture vs. nature. Students who enjoy reading about the struggle to survive harsh conditions will enjoy this book.

[kendrarenee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very fast-paced and action-packed. London writes like a natural, and I really enjoyed the story's embodiment of Darwin's ideas/theories. Its eloquent narration of Buck's return to nature appeals to my own instincts, having grown up somewhat removed from typical "civilization" myself ... but I have to admit, his emphasis on THE fittest, Buck, feels rather aloof and elitist for me. But in that sense, I suppose London is staying true to the story's central theme: only the fittest DO and CAN survive.

[es135_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My father gave this book to me as "one every man should read". I have to agree. There is something about the primal nature of this story, which follows the journey of a dog,that made me want to travel and become one with the earth. Although I enjoyed reading this novel, I would have liked to know more about the human characters rather than the dogs. Indeed the writing from the dog's perspective is great, but I usually find it easier to relate to humans.

[speedy74_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is one of my favorite pieces of American literature. Set in the rugged and bitterly cold Yukon, London weaves a tale of adventure through the eyes of Buck, a St. Bernard/Retriever mix, as he is abducted from a relative dog life of luxury and made a beast of burden on a sled team during the Alaskan gold rush. As the book follows the owners in Buck's life, one sees how the environment of the Yukon makes survival of the fittest a physical as well as mentally challenging game. This is a great read for dog lovers, and adventurers young and old---a time worn classic.

[tonyasb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I drive a lot for work and get bored with listening to the radio after a while. A lot of times I'll listen to audiobooks but they're so expensive that I haven't listened to one in a while. So I was happily surprised when I found White Fang and The Call of the Wild on audio for $4 apiece at Half Price Books. If you are not familiar with this store, I am very sorry. It's absolutely wonderful (but not near as wonderful as our own Recycled Books here in Denton - I really love that store).So I remember reading The Call of the Wild when I was kid and I think I saw a movie on White Fang at some point in my life but they're both very fuzzy and needless to say I had the two confused in my head. Well, maybe not confused but merged is the better word. I had somehow remembered a wild half-wolf dog that was captured and tortured to fight other dogs then rescued and taught be a sled dog who eventually went back to the wild. Yeah. Just remember it had been a long time.After listening to the two back to back, I believe that The Call of the Wild is my favorite of the two simply because I'm not fond of the narrative in White Fang. The narrator keeps referring to people as "gods" in White Fangs eyes. Also, he sees power as coming from material possessions. This is a human qualification and I have never seen animals give deference to another animal because of possessions. They base power on strength. It is possible with some animals that the leader may have access to more food and other possessions but that is because he/she is ALREADY leader. Those things do not make the leader. So, because the wolf apparently sees materials possessions as power he sees white people as being superior to all others. See where I'm going here? Very irritating.Ok, here's another problem: inconsistency. I realize these are different stories but they both concern sled dogs at some point. In The Call of the Wild, the sled dogs regard the lead sled dog with deference and treat him as leader in all other aspects of life. In White Fang, the other dogs view the lead dog as running away from them and therefore a coward to be tormented. The lead dog must sit with the people in order to be protected. WHAT??!! I don't know anything about sledding but I know about dogs and this simply doesn't make sense. The Call of the Wild was written first so maybe he discovered something that I don't know about. I tried to find some other reviews to see if there was any mention of this but all I could find were school papers and descriptions of the book. Anyone know where I can find good critiques not written by 6th graders?Ok, so I didn't completely dislike White Fang. I was irritated by those things but the storyline is very good. I was surprised when I found out it was written after The Call of the Wild because it seems a little more rough. It reads like a first book, where The Call of the Wild seems more polished. In both books I really enjoyed the interplay between the main characters and the other dogs. The dogs seemed more real than the people. This makes complete sense, since the story is told from the point of view of the dog. The other dogs would be the ones that Buck and White Fang knew the best. London accomplishes this very well. I also enjoyed the exchange between Buck and Thornton and White Fang and Scott. Being an animal lover and having dogs all my life, I know the power of the love from an animal. I was impressed by how Scott won over White Fang. His devotion to Scott reminds me of my boyfriend's dog, Skillet, who treats Jeff as if he hung the moon and my dog, Loki, who treats me the same way. Both of these dogs were rescued also. There seems to be something that happens to a dog who is rescued and loved that makes them more devoted than a dog who comes to you as a puppy, like my other dog, Aurora. She obviously loves me and I love her very much but Loki and Skillet become visibly upset just being out of our presence. I was also impressed that Buck remained with Thornton even when he wanted to be free simply because he loved this man. Many people may say this is anthropomorphizing, that animals can't love like this. I say they have never given themselves to an animal enough to feel that love.