The Last Diving Horse in America: Rescuing Gamal and Other Animals—Lessons in Living and Loving

In this moving love letter to rescued animals, Branigan (Adopting the Racing Greyhound), founder of Make Peace with Animals, shares her deep passion for giving unwanted creatures a second chance at life. A lifelong lover of animals, Branigan parlayed her passion into a job in her twenties assisting Cleveland Amory, the “founding father” of the modern animal protection movement and president of The Fund for Animals. It was on a rescue mission for Cleveland in 1980 that she met and adopted Gamal, a carrot cake–loving gelding, during an auction following the shuttering of Atlantic City’s Steel Pier, where a controversial diving horse act was the main attraction. Over the years, Branigan’s rescue attempts would extend to adopting a llama named Hot Britches, a malnourished mare and foal from Amish country, and Sparkplug, a feisty burro. Each enriched Branigan’s life with invaluable lessons, but, as she tenderly recounts, Gamal—who died in 1989 after a devastating accident—made a lasting impact on her life. “His quiet, non-judgmental way of listening... had a profound effect on me. While I may not have morphed into someone as brave or confident as he, I was light-years ahead of where I had been when first we met.” This heartfelt story will be catnip for animal lovers. Agent: Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)