This first collection of Pet Tales, compiled by former Life editor Anne Cuthbertson, features a talking dog and a surfboarding cat, a chicken that thinks it's human, a foul-tempered duck called Mussolini, a bear called Tina, and an escaped cornsnake who may still be at large under the floorboards.

Readers will adore the cast of quirky, sympathetic, heroic and adorable characters, including Lovable Rogues, Timid Souls, Hunters and Gatherers, Escape Artists, Givers of Joy and Dearly Departed.

With a foreword by the dog-lover, television presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle, this heart-warming, hilarious and at times heart-breaking book is a must for anyone who has ever loved a pet.

The Pet Tales column of the Sunday Telegraph launched in 2010, giving readers the opportunity to send in their own stories and pictures. It quickly developed a devoted following with close to a thousand submissions to date.