James Herriot

“I wished I could have explained it to him – that the dogs were not for sale, that they were my friends.”

“The good dog, the loyal dog, the true dog, the faithful dog—all these he was, but not an intelligent dog.”

“I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs.”

“I have felt cats rubbing their faces against mine and touching my cheek with claws carefully sheathed. These things, to me, are expressions of love.”

“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.”

“At times it seemed unfair that I should be paid for my work; for driving out in the early morning with the fields glittering under the first frost, hearing the whistling of the birds, the rustle of small animals in the wood.”

“The richness of an animal's life is measured by its capacity to feel, and it is in this that they are our equals.”

“Animals are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.”

“It is a grand thing to be a young man and to live in a future which is, on the whole, bright.”

“There are many things in life that are better when you're young, but veterinary practice is not one of them.”

“When you are on the floor, you are right in the thick of it, just a grunt away from the all-powerful hoof.”

“There was no cure for Recurrent Sore Throat, but there was a cure for the sadness that gripped me.”

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”

“If you decide to become a veterinary surgeon you will never grow rich, but you will have a life of endless interest and variety.”

“He had a habit of looking at me as if I were a hero and he was my devoted follower.”