Dogs, cats, chickens, snakes, birds—they make our lives more lively, our days brighter, our hearts more vulnerable. A tribute to these companion animals from the people who love them, Tails of Devotion is an elegantly conceived and tenderly presented volume that collects, in words and photographs, answers to the question: “If you and your pet could communicate on paper, what would you write to each other?” More than 50 individuals and families share their stories, feelings and experiences. And though the spectrum of contributors ranges from the well-known—Isabel Allende, Peter Coyote, Amy Tan, Robin Williams—to those who are famous only to their pets, there is a remarkable constancy in the emotions they express. Tails also honors the many rescuers, trainers, caregivers and others who make miracles happen daily in the lives of animals; 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the book are earmarked for five Bay Area animal-welfare nonprofits. Emily Scott Pottruck, the book’s publisher and driving force, marshaled her years of experience in philanthropy and fundraising to create this heartwarming record of the bond between humans and their animal companions. It makes a great gift, in all senses of the word.

Speak Up: Amy Tan

Interview by Claudia Kawczynska

Q. In Tails of Devotion, you write that, “With all of these creatures, my heart widened and I found companionship for the solitary part of me that allowed no human to enter.” Why do you think animals are able to unblock that solitary part in your heart?

A. Sometimes, when we look at these things in psychological terms, we say that animals don’t talk back, that they are nonjudgmental. At other times, I feel there is just some other kind of connection, and by looking at my dogs, I feel they know intuitively something about me. Perhaps it is on the level that has less to do with words and motivation, but more on their ability to discern the most basic and most important things about us.

And then, when you do something for them, they are so grateful—they don’t say, “What about my last birthday, when you didn’t get me something?” There’s none of that extra baggage. It is just immediate, it reminds you that day by day, there are things that are joyful.

Q. Are all your friends animal lovers, like you and Emily Pottruck?

A. I don’t have many friends who don’t have animals. There is a man, for example, who has been driving me [to the airport] for a number of years, and he finally got a dog. He is besotted with the dog, all he can do is talk about the dog, he talks about what the dog did, what the dog’s bowel movements are, and I think that “yep” there is a time that suddenly, you have a dog, and then you are in love.

Q. When people who don’t understand little dogs see your adorable Yorkies, Bubba and Lily, do they expect them to act in a certain way?

A. My dogs are very well-behaved in public … they are very obnoxious when they are at home. They have been trained not to bark and to be quiet in public—they are just there at the greetings and the talks that I do, right there on stage with me. A lot of people say, “Gee, I thought that little dogs were so awful, but I see that they’re great.” I say that any dog is wonderful and can be wonderful in public if you train them. And my dogs are not perfect whatsoever, but it is just proof that training—which means socializing and being consistent with your expectations and what you find pleasurable—makes any dog “a well-behaved” dog.

Q. Did our mutual friend Ian Dunbar have anything to do with their training?

A. Just about everything I know about dog training, I learned through Ian Dunbar. I have gone to his seminars, and even attended the seminars for his dog trainers, and I’ve watched all his tapes. And I have gone to clicker training classes, too—not that he did those, they were through Karen Pryor. I’ve heard enough about and from Ian that I based Harry Bailley, a character in my latest book, Saving Fish from Drowning, on him. Ian has said to me over the years, “Oh, make me one of your characters.” I had Ian read the sections of the manuscript to do with dog training to be sure that, even though the character is politically incorrect and sexist, the rest of him, the animal behaviorist part, was right. I was very pleased when he said that yes, it was right.

Q. In what ways do you think Bubba and Lily are different from one another?

A. People who don’t know dogs ask, “How can you tell them apart?” But they look so different to me. They’re the same breed, but Bubba’s hair is short, Lily’s is long, and beyond that, their faces are different. But it’s in their personalities where there is a huge difference. They each have places where they sleep; Bubba sleeps on the right side of my head and Lily sleeps on my stomach. And it is the same when they stay with Emily, that is exactly where they sleep. Lily is very whimsical and fun. When she sees Bubba grab something she wants, she’ll start barking. He’ll drop whatever toy he has to go over and see what she is barking at, and she’ll immediately grab his toy. She is very clever. Bubba is painfully devoted to me, he’s the one who waits for days and days. Lily is practically over me within a minute—“Well, she’s gone!”—but Bubba lingers at the door.