The Dangerous Book for Frogs

One of my favorite places to look for books is at library book sales. A lot of what they're getting rid of are books that just shouldn't be on the shelf and accessible to the general public. Of course, these are often the most entertaining books. One such gem is a book that I picked up a few years ago at the Saranac Lake Free Library's summer sale (one of the best I've ever been to).

The book is called PETS FOR PENNIES and was published in 1964. It's about how to capture and raise wild animals. Over half of this book must be completely illegal if not entirely dangerous. A lot of quotes like, "Young skunks are easy to capture in the wild, and are soon tamed." It's just that easy! Actually, that reminds me. My grandpa used to have a skunk that he'd carry in parades while riding a donkey. True story. Here are a few more pages from PFP including a nice shot of Col. Frank Fitts from American Beauty as a child.

"Is the first sign of rabies a seized-up hand?"

"He goes everywhere I go. Except my parole hearings."

Looking through this book reminded me of another classic on my shelf, currently on loan from my bud, John, called WILD ORPHAN BABIES.

This one is for those people who might be more in touch with their nagging consciences while baby-raiding groundhog burrows and who decide instead to patch the little boogers up. The copyright is 1975. Would that make it before or after federal laws protecting songbirds and owls? Either way, it doesn't stop William Weber DVM from saving lives! Weber Style!

"Boy, Mom and Dad are going to love you."

This one seems to have a more humane bent, however misguided, right up until the picture demonstrating how to force feed a cattle egret dog food. I decided to leave that one out. Yikes.