• What: Critter Chronicles, a book about rescue adventures with dogs and cats.

• Web site: http://danieltaylor.us/Critter_Chronicles.html

• Cost: $15.95

• Available at: Spice of Life Books, Harper Square Mall, Corinth; Downtown Books, Foote and Franklin streets, Corinth

CORINTH – The concern Daniel Taylor has for animals extends well beyond the concern that led him to rescue and adopt the 11 dogs and 13 cats who share his 16 acres in rural Alcorn County.

He has now authored a book – “Critter Chronicles” – which is a compilation of stories he has shared online about his various rescue adventures. Proceeds from sales of the book will be used to help the Corinth/Alcorn County Humane Society.

Although Taylor has taken in an impressive number of animals over the past decade, he prefers to have the animal shelter adopt out his finds.

“Actually this collecting of animals is new,” Taylor said. “Although we always had dogs or cats in our family as a child growing up, most of my adult life I have lived without the company of animals.”

Until about 10 years ago.

“I had a neighbor who was not able to take care of all of her animals, and I took four or five of them. That was the start for me,” he said.

Taylor assumed responsibility for educating himself about stray and abandoned animals, but soon learned from people operating the shelter that not all animals can be adopted out. So then he often will take them himself.

“I live on 16 acres in a big house by myself, so besides the amount of time I spend cleaning, it’s not a problem,” he said.

The 54-year-old computer programmer soon found online discussion groups where he continued to broaden his understanding of issues of abandoned and rescued animals, and soon began to share his own rescue tales.

Shelter needs

Taylor was familiar with some of the needs at the Corinth/Alcorn Humane Society when the shelter’s board chairwoman, Lenoir Stanley, started an e-mail communication with him.

“Somebody told me about the online Daily Corinthian where his stories were being published,” Stanley said. “They said he was an animal lover and a friend of the shelter, so I started e-mailing him.”

Enthusiastic feedback and encouragement from readers prompted him to develop the stories for print publication.

“I was working on a draft of the book and had gone through a couple of proofs when I heard from the president of the humane society,” Taylor said. “I wondered if there was something I could do, and it was sort of a catalyst to go ahead and release the book for publication. I wanted to try to advertise and get people interested, with the proceeds going to the animal shelter.”

Help with funding is always critical to meet the many needs at the shelter, Stanley said.

“It is wonderful for us that he’ll have the benefits from book sales go to the shelter,” she said. “We’re continuing to get lots and lots of animals that need caring for.”

Help with caring for those animals has come in several forms, said shelter Director Keith Mays.

Concrete to build new dog runs was donated by B&B Concrete, and construction is under way. Other projects that include a colony room where cats can roam, with a tree built in it for them to climb, are on the drawing board when funds become available.

“We’re trying to educate a new generation,” Mays said. “Our biggest problem is people who drop off their dogs when they get tired of them, so we’re trying to educate children – 4-H groups, school groups. We also talk with them about euthanasia. It has to be done, but if everybody would spay and neuter their animals there would be a lot less of it.”

The single largest expense for the shelter is veterinary costs, but Mays said he is hopeful that the Mississippi State University vet school will send residency students who need the training to provide regular services, that includes spay and neuter clinics.

“We could also use some adult volunteers,” Mays said.

People could help exercise the dogs, play with the cats, help with general cleanup, bathing and even provide a temporary home until an adoption can be arranged.

“People need to understand that the animal shelter is there to help the animals, take them in and get them adopted out,” Taylor said. “They don’t get a lot of financial help and I want to do what I can to help them.”

Contact Lena Mitchell at (662) 287-9822 or lena.mitchell@djournal.com.