Paws or 'Jaws'? What do you think?

The new shelves at Lovett Memorial Library in Pampa, Texas, include this non-fiction title about a Great Dane with an engaging personality.

I have heard, and I base the following proclamation strictly on heresay, but I have heard ... that sharks eat everything from automobile tires to tin cans. I must stress that I cannot vouch for the veracity of this statement. It could prove to be an old wives' tale, but if said proclamation proves factual then I swear to goodness, dogs and sharks have something in common because dogs eat everything, too!

My dog, Jetta, is a very impartial eater. She believes in tasting a variety of unhealthy, seemingly indigestible materials. She is a black Labrador retriever with a funny-looking ridge of fur that runs dead center down the length of her nose. I refer to her as the "Four-Footed Plague."

Sigh. I sometimes fondly call her Jetta-Bean. Mostly, I just do a lot of yelling in her general direction to which the FFP calmly goes her way with an indefatigable sense of smug self-worth and a seemingly divine mission to swallow anything that is not nailed down and a few things that are.

Over the years, Jetta-Bean has treated her taste buds to carpet, rope, plastic and, well, you get the idea. Let me now say: Jetta once swallowed a pig hoof in its entirety and spent the night piteously moaning. I spent the night with one leg propped out of bed rubbing the little idiot's tum-tum. Most recently Jetta developed a distasteful (mind the pun, folks) yen for, gulp, pistachio casings. Jetta-Bean is a, um, dog with issues, but, what can I say? I love the FFP.

Disclaimer: The statement that dogs eat everything sharks eat is not based on scientific fact but rather on my own hair-raising experiences with the FFP, thus both claims are just ... claims. If you want the low-down on the truth of these matters, visit your local library.

Patrons of Lovett Memorial can find a plethora of books, DVDs and VHS tapes on a host of wildlife. The library collection even contains Steven Spielberg's infamous "Jaws" and several sequels to the movie.

For the intrepid, fact-lover and/or animal-lover out there, Lovett Memorial has an awesome selection of non-fiction books. If you want to find out more about canines in general or even a single breed in particular, check out our online card catalog or, better yet, drop in at Lovett Memorial Library in Pampa, Texas, and browse the appropriate shelves.

Lovett Memorial's host of books and movies include both fiction and non-fiction titles that educate and entertain adults and kids alike about a variety of wildlife from sharks to service dogs. In fact, our new shelves now boast a non-fiction title by Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee called "Giant George."

"Giant George" is actually a massive Great Dane apparently in possession of a personality in keeping with his gargantuan size. Though I have yet to read "Giant George," the colorful photos of the larger-than-life Dane call to me.

"Giant George" is most assuredly on my "to read" list. George is most definitely a photogenic beast. In fact, George doesn't appear to mind having his picture taken unlike, ahem, a certain black lab of my acquaintance. That lab immediately skulks under the table at the mere sight of a camera and will often sulk under there for HOURS.