About the Book
On October 16, 1914, a short speech, originally presented as an argument in a civil suit, was read into the Congressional Record by the Hon. Clement C. Dickenson, of Missouri. The speech had been delivered by George Graham Vest on behalf of a plaintiff seeking damages from a neighbor for killing his dog in a case entitled, Burden v. Hornsby, tried in a justice of the peace court in Warrensburg, Missouri, September 1870. Vest's moving "Eulogy on the Dog" convinced the jury to decide for the plaintiff and became a classic tribute to man's best friend.

The New Edition
This newly illustrated edition is a verbatim transcript of the text printed in the Congressional Record (October 16, 1914, vol. 51, Appendix, pp. 1235–36) beginning with an explanatory letter provided by John Finis Philips, Vest's law partner at the time of the case. The illustrations were created in 2007 and 2008 especially for this printing by artist Jackie Ehle. With her colorful brushstrokes and expressive style Jackie has captured anew the source of the friendship that Vest so famously described more than 130 years ago. Jackie's dogs are of many shapes and sizes and live in a world very different from the one Old Drum knew, but they are the same devoted companions that inspired the famous speech.