Pet Tales: Extraordinary Pets From Ordinary Homes

This first collection of Pet Tales, compiled by former Life editor Anne Cuthbertson, features a talking dog and a surfboarding cat, a chicken that thinks it's human, a foul-tempered duck called Mussolini, a bear called Tina, and an escaped corn snake who may still be at large under the floorboards.

With a foreword by the dog-lover, television presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle, this heart-warming, hilarious and at times heart-breaking book is a must for anyone who has ever loved a pet.

The Pet Tales column of the Sunday Telegraph launched in 2010, giving readers the opportunity to send in their own stories and pictures. It quickly developed a devoted following with close to a thousand submissions to date.