The Very Best of Friends

My cat Merl loves my dog Nigel. At least I think he does. When Nigel is hanging out, Merl is often close by. Sometimes Merl rubs up against Nigel's face. I don't think Nigel loves Merl, but he tolerates him just fine.

Cats and dogs are often friends. But what about elephants and dogs? Most definitely. I was given the book Tarra & Bella, a truly beautiful story about Tarra, an elephant who had been forced to perform in circuses and movies for more than 20 years. She now lives on 2700 acres at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee with many other elephants and her best friend, Bella. Bella is a medium-sized mixed breed dog who picked Tarra as her friend, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Text accompanies magnificent pictures illustrating the friends' day-to-day interactions and chronicling their painful separation when Bella gets hurt. The photos also show Bella's amazing recovery that was centered on the best medicine -- friendship. Read the book for more information about Tarra and Bella's friendship; and to learn about all of the elephants living at the sanctuary, check our www.elephants.com.