This is the story of the vagabond canines that hopped on railroads across the United States, often becoming celebrities and national heroes. Chapters introduce canines like Owney, guardian of the railway mail service; Fala, FDR's beloved dog and train-companion; Annie, the Colorado railway ambassador; the K9 patrols who watch over the tracks; and many more. As railroads were changing America, these raildogs were changing the people who lived and worked in rail communities. For the dogs of the railways, home became the hearts of the people of the railroad. More than the dogs themselves, this book is about the human-animal relationship between a dog and a community and moments in history where that relationship symbolized the quest for home and belonging, a search that humans often share with our canine travelers.

Dogs have a storied history in health care, and the human-animal relationship has been used in the field for decades. Over the years, certain dogs have improved and advanced the field of health care in myriad ways. In this book, the author presents the stories of these pioneer dogs, from the mercy dogs of World War I, to the medicine-toting sled dogs Togo and Balto, to contemporary therapy dogs. More than the dogs themselves, this book is about the human-animal relationship, and moments in history where that relationship propelled health care forward.