For Michelle Lerner, a Harvard-educated lawyer, the call wasn’t just unusual―it was a summons. On the line was a panicked volunteer from a chaotic cat shelter she’d left behind years ago. The problem? A neurologically-impaired squirrel who insisted on being sat on by his rabbit roommate was about to fall into the hands of the state, and Michelle was his only hope. It’s a question most people never face, but for Michelle, it was just the beginning of a life lived in loving, chaotic service to the most opinionated animals imaginable.

In A Series of Opinionated Animals, Lerner invites readers into her astonishing world, where the line between rescue and civil disobedience is often blurred. This is a world where a disabled sheep named Lamby―the “Woolly Bully”―wears children’s skateboarding elbow pads, develops a taste for blue corn chips, and learns to herd cats, all while demanding her meals by ramming her head against the kitchen door. It’s a world where Monster, the squirrel, recovers from his mysterious past by throwing tantrums, serenading the neighborhood with squirrel opera, and forming an inseparable bond with a patient rabbit named Finn. Lerner’s story is populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, including a trio of rescue dogs―Nubi, the resident genius; Fern, the speckled pig-like dog who embarks on her own “Outward Bound” journey; and Chip, the lovable fool who joyfully dances on thin ice. From a ferocious chicken who hazes new farmhands to a veritable herd of cats with feline leukemia who teach lessons in love and loss, Lerner shows us that every animal has a story and a distinct, often hilarious, point of view.

With the sharp wit of a seasoned lawyer and the deep empathy of a lifelong animal advocate, Lerner seamlessly weaves her personal experiences into a broader narrative about justice for those who cannot speak for themselves. She recounts how her profound bond with Shire, a disabled ex-police horse, propelled her into the field of animal law, where she would go on to help establish one of the nation’s first student animal law programs, at Harvard no less. A Series of Opinionated Animals is a moving and uproarious memoir about the radical, world-changing act of recognizing the personhood in every creature. It is a story of unconventional family, profound grief, and the kind of love that transcends species―a love that is messy, demanding, and ultimately transformative.