Forty years ago, nearly fifty thousand dairy farms dotted the rolling landscape of Wisconsin. Most were small farms of thirty to forty milking cows, several calves, at least one dog, and a clowder of cats and kittens. These were family farms, tended by many intriguing characters and populated by unpredictable critters.

Giggling Jolly Todola, Goliath the raging bull, Hattie the ancient coonhound, Cyrus Caine's uvula, and Josie the Jersey's romp through the barn during surgery are just a few of the characters and stories from the early years of veterinary practice Dr. Dave Mills recalls in the pages of Cow Tales: Memories of a Rural Animal Doctor.