A Reason to Live

"A must-read for anyone interested in the health professions, veterinary medicine, sociology, psychology, gerontology, or human relationships. The volume includes well-documented, detailed interviews that outline the reality of disease as illness progresses and caretaking becomes more taxing. The author provides brilliant insights into the agonies of grief and compassion fatigue, while at the same time presenting poignant moments of understanding, empathy, and hope. So riveting, the book reads like a novel." —Sandra Bertman, PhD, Education Consultant, Thanatology & Arts: Good Shepherd Community Care Institute and Hospice

"This work makes a significant contribution to scholarship, public awareness, and general knowledge. It sets itself apart by combining true stories of redemption along with the possible science behind these outcomes. This book will prove to be enlightening to anyone who seeks to understand the companion animal—human bond." —Michelle A. Rivera, non-fiction Author and Registered Animal-Assisted Dog Therapist

"Vicki Hutton captures the healing power of the human–animal bond through personal stories of survivors of the AIDS pandemic. During a time of stigma and self-hatred, and before effective therapies, animal companionship was the most powerful medicine available and is still effective today. Furry, feathered, and scaled creatures saved many lives and brought a positive face to the pandemic. The author captures the historical threads of a darker time and brings light to the importance of animals in our lives." —Ken Gorczyca, DVM, Founding Veterinarian of Pets Are Wonderful Support, San Francisco

"An expert in human/animal relationships, Hutton (an Australia-based writer and scholar) provides a poignant examination of life-saving, animal-assisted therapy for males living with HIV/AIDS. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers." —CHOICE

"This book is sure to appeal equally to human–animal interaction researchers and, more generally, to those who share close bonds with animal companions and/or whose lives have been touched by HIV. This book is at once a powerful account of the human–animal bond and a theoretically rigorous analysis of the underlying mechanisms that explain the healing potential of this relationship. It is near impossible not to be inspired by the messages of hope and joy contained within each of the narratives that form the heart of this book." —Anthrozoos

"An expert in human/animal relationships, Hutton (an Australia-based writer and scholar) provides a poignant examination of life-saving, animal-assisted therapy for males living with HIV/AIDS. the volume will be useful for anyone in the health or helping professions." —Choice

"In 2012, Vicki Hutton interviewed eleven men in Australia who had contracted HIV. The interviews focused on the healing effects of living with 'companion animals', some of whom attended the interviews. Hutton illustrates repeatedly how these animals embodied a reason for HIV survivors to live in spite of the repercussions of the disease they suffered." —Animal Studies Journal