Three WCVM alumni have each released new novels that not only span the globe - but also time. Photo: Céline Grimard.
Three WCVM alumni have each released new novels that not only span the globe - but also time. Photo: Céline Grimard.

WCVM authors offer new additions to your summer reading list

Your summer reading list isn’t complete without one of these recent books written by members of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) community.

By Céline Grimard

Rear View Wisdom: Life Lessons from Treating Animals by Dr. Michael High (DVM’88)

With over three decades of experience of treating dogs, cats, birds, pocket pets, wildlife and exotic animals, WCVM alumnus Dr. Michael High has more than a few stories to share. His book features knowledge gained through successes and failures with his animal patients — along with some life lessons learned well after their treatments.

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People of Cove and Woodlot: Stories Across 100 Years of Memories by Dr. Ted Leighton (DVM’79) and Alexander Leighton.

Dr. Ted Leighton, a WCVM graduate and professor emeritus, uncovered the unpublished works of his father, Alexander Leighton, in 2021 — 14 years after his death in 2007.  Ted decided to build on his father’s work, creating a memoir that steps back into the era between the 1920s and 1970s in Nova Scotia’s Digby County. The book combines tales of people known by both Ted and his father,

This is Ted’s third book and first memoir. He has also written two novels: Knowers and Lovers in 2024 and A Ring of Justice in 2022.

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In Velvet: Elk, Wapiti and Deer Stories by Dr. Jerry Haigh

In his seventh book, WCVM professor emeritus Dr. Jerry Haigh dives into his experiences with elk (wapiti), deer and a few other species. The book covers his work in Western Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, India, Australia, United States and the island of Rota.

The book is separated into three sections, starting with Haigh’s work as a veterinarian managing and treating zoo and free-ranging elk, followed by his organization of an air shipment of elk overseas to New Zealand. The book’s final section recounts Haigh’s work in operating his family’s elk farm in the Saskatoon area.

Haigh uses his own photography and decades of encounters to bring his adventures to life.

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