Sherlock Bones, Tracer of Missing Pets

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Sherlock Bones, Tracer of Missing Pets is a 1979 book written by John Keane (b. 1944) about his adventures as a pet detective. Keane stumbled on the profession in the early 1970s while looking for work and built a successful business out of it in the ensuing years.

In the book he details several of his more memorable cases as Sherlock Bones (a name he chose apparently without being aware of the children's book character of the same name), shares advice on how best to find missing pets, and includes anecdotes about run-ins with various oddballs in the course of his career. Keane demonstrates sympathy both for the animals and the people he encounters on his searches, painting their characters and personalities in vivid, insightful strokes.

The overall tone of the book is both humorous and poignantly heart warming. In one case Keane tries to chase down an unexpectedly energetic dog while nursing a high fever-- with the help/hindrance of a group of excitable young street hoodlums. And in another he helps an emotionally neglected little boy cope with the loss of a beloved pet. The book ends with a helpful explanation of the methods Keane uses to locate pets, which, he points out, any pet owner will be able to follow on their own.