Author to speak at Purdue on human-pet connection
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The author of "A Dog Year" and "Soul of a Dog" is coming to Purdue University to give a public lecture in conjunction with a veterinary conference on Sept. 22.
Jon Katz, companion animal author, photographer, critic and volunteer, will present "Love Story: America and its Companion Animals. What's Going on?" at 10:30 a.m. at the University Plaza Hotel, 3001 Northwestern Ave., West Lafayette. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is part of the 2010 Elanco/Lilly Lectureship, and will be held during the School of Veterinary Medicine's Fall Conference for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians.
"Pet owners around the world have laughed and cried at this New York Times bestselling author's stories," said Alan Beck, the Dorothy N. McAllister Professor of Animal Ecology and director of the veterinary school's Center for the Human-Animal Bond. "Jon Katz uses his gift as a storyteller to illustrate the special connection between humans and companion animals, and his talk will help us better understand our relationship with our furry friends."
Katz worked as a journalist or editor at several newspapers and was an executive producer of the CBS Morning News. He has written eight books about dogs, farm animals and rural life including "A Dog Year," "The New Work of Dogs," "The Dogs of Bedlam Farm," "A Good Dog," "Izzy and Lenore" and "Soul of a Dog." He also is co-host of Northeast Public Radio's "Dog Talk," and he writes about dogs and rural life for Slate.com. He also volunteers in hospice work with his pet dogs Izzy and Lenore.
The lectureship is sponsored by Elanco, in collaboration with Purdue's Center for the Human-Animal Bond. Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Co. This is the fourth year of the lectureship series, which is endowed through a gift to the Purdue Center for the Human-Animal Bond by Elanco/Lilly. Katz also spoke at the North American Veterinary Conference in January as part of this series.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Sources: Alan Beck, 765-494-0854, abeck@purdue.edu
Kevin Doerr, director of alumni relations and public affairs, 765-494-8216, doerrkr@purdue.edu
Related website:
School of Veterinary Medicine