I make no secret of the fact I love animals although the whole issue of zoos and the like has me torn - while it's amazing to have the privilege to see animals up close, obviously it's not always the best life for them and they should be roaming free as nature intended. However at the same time, I'm aware that some animals are safer in zoos or reserves - an issue which is mentioned in this book in relation to hunting and poaching - and may well be extinct otherwise. So let's leave the moral dilemmas behind and talk about the book!
It was the title that grabbed me so that's done it's job - I *had* to know about the rhino with shoes. Turns out that living on concrete rather than it's natural swampy mud had left him with foot problems and constant infections so they gave him shoes much like horseshoes to change the way he used his feet and ultimately it helped him.
There are so many interesting stories within the book, like fish chemo and an eel who lived in a bar and, once moved to an aquarium, wouldn't eat until he saw the bartender again. The stories are all quirky and have titles that make them sound like mystery stories. There's no run of the mill stories - they're all about unique cases and vets having to experiment and use creative solutions to cure these creatures.
Some of the stories are well-written and engaging but these people are veterinarians, not authors, so naturally some of them are less eloquent and more straight-forward than others. Most of them are told with a touch of humour but they all show a great passion for their job and the animals they work with. It's not just ideal for those interested in being a vet or working with animals, anyone with a love of animals or the use of creative solutions to solve a problem should enjoy this book.
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