Countless times throughout our lives, we're presented with a choice to help another living being. Rescuing Ladybugs highlights the true stories of remarkable people who didn't look away from seemingly impossible-to-change situations and instead worked to save animals. Prepare to be transported to Borneo to release orangutans, Brazil to protect jaguars, Africa to connect with chimpanzees and elephants, the Maldives to free mantas, and Indonesia, the only place where dragons still exist in the wild.
Introduction
Buddha and Bear: The Joy in Compassion-Driven Intervention
Jennifer Skiff, Bears. Vientiane, Laos
Monkey and Porcupine: The Power of the Collective Voice
Jo-Anne McArthur, Monkey. Banos, Equador
Carole Tomko, Elephants. Botswana, Africa
Susan Rockefeller, Pteropods. New York, USA
Dragon, Orangutan, Manta: Preservation for the Good of All
Guy Stevens, Manta. North Male Atoll, Maldives
Willie Smits, Orangutan. Kalimantan, Borneo
Chimp and Dog: On the Path to do what's Right, You're Never Alone
Chris Mercer, Lynx. Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Emma Haswell, Greyhound. Ross, Tasmania
Jenny Desmond, Chimpanzee. Entebbe, Uganda
Rabbit, Chicken, Pig: The Rewards in Leading the Way
Josh Balk, Chicken. Howell, Maryland
Peter Singer, Homo sapien. Oxford, England
Melanie Greensmith, Rabbit. Sydney, Australia
Pigeon and Cow: Connections that Drive Sweeping Change
Jill Robinson, Bear. Zhuhai, China
Temple Grandin, Cattle. Arizona, USA
Dolphin and Beaver: Enlightening Transformations
Dave Pauli, Beaver. Pasco, Washington
Ric O'Barry, Dolphin. Miami, Florida
Shark and Coyote: From Fear to Happiness
Shawn Heinrichs, Shark. Raja Ampat, West Papua New Guinea
Zoe Weil, Coyote. Adirondack Mountains, New York
Jaguar, Owl, Salamander: Answering the Call
Leandro Silveira, Jaguar. Goias, Brazil
Barbara Royal, DVM, Owl. Roslyn, Washington
Andrew Sabin, Salamander. Long Island, New York
Afterword
Jennifer Skiff is an award-winning journalist who traveled the globe as a correspondent for CNN for more than a decade. Passionate about animals and their welfare, she serves as a trustee, adviser, and spokesperson for charities around the world while working with lawmakers to create positive change.
"Rescuing Ladybugs opens a portal into the amazing lives of the protectors of animals in our world. It's an inspiring, enlightening, and conscience-raising book."
– Gene Baur, president and cofounder of Farm Sanctuary and bestselling author of Farm Sanctuary and Living the Farm Sanctuary Life
"The rising public anguish over the state of the natural world, the suffering of humankind and of our fellow creatures, is informed and affirmed by the many voices in Jennifer Skiff's book. Rescuing Ladybugs is an exceptional book – a clarion call to awaken our empathy, ignite compassionate action, and help recover our humanity in these dystopian times. It should be required reading for all high school students and will inspire all who care in their communion with other sentient beings."
– Dr. Michael W. Fox, author of The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation
"Reading Rescuing Ladybugs, I am struck by the warmth and skill of Jennifer Skiff's writing and the profundity of her message. I am reading it slowly because every single chapter makes me want to get out of my chair and go do more for animals. Thank you for the inspiration!"
– Karen Dawn, DawnWatch
"Everyone will love Rescuing Ladybugs. With a perfect balance of memoir, stories, and testimonials, this remarkable book and the heroes in it will make you laugh, will make you cry – and, more than anything else, will invite you to become a member of the kindest, most joyous, and most rewarding movement on the planet: the compassion movement."
– Natasha Milne, coeditor of One Hundred & One Reasons to Get Out of Bed and host of My Home Planet podcast
"My heart responds to Jennifer Skiff's book because animals and humans are connected – we help, teach, heal, and rescue one another. Please read Rescuing Ladybugs, learn, and follow your heart to connect with and help our family of animals. Everyone will benefit."
– Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, author of Love, Animals & Miracles
"Everyone needs inspiring role models. This book is all about how people have found their life's work in protecting animals around the world. It's eye-opening, mind-expanding, and indeed inspiring."
– Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel