The tragedies of global struggle II are renowned. yet not less than one has been forgotten: in September 1939, four hundred thousand cats and canine have been massacred in Britain. the govt., vets, and animal charities all instructed by contrast killing. So why could hundreds of thousands of British voters line as much as voluntarily euthanize family pets?

In The nice Cat and puppy Massacre, Hilda Kean finds the heritage, piecing jointly the compelling tale of the life—and death—of Britain’s wartime animal partners. She explains that worry of approaching Nazi bombing and the need to do whatever to organize for struggle led Britons to stitch blackout curtains, dig up flower beds for vegetable patches, ship their teenagers away to the countryside—and kill the kinfolk puppy, in concept sparing them the ache of a bombing raid. Kean’s narrative is gripping, unfolding via tales of shared stories of bombing, meals regulations, sheltering, and mutual aid. quickly pets turned key to the struggle attempt, delivering emotional tips and aiding humans to survive—a contribution for which the animals received executive recognition.

Drawing commonly on new examine from animal charities, nation documents, diaries, and relations tales, Kean does greater than inform a nearly forgotten tale. She complicates our knowing of worldwide warfare II as a “good struggle” fought through a country of “good” humans. Accessibly written and generously illustrated, Kean’s account of this forgotten element of British heritage strikes animals to heart stage—forcing us to reconsider our assumptions approximately ourselves and the animals with whom we percentage our homes.