As a young girl, Laurel Neme dreamed of helping animals. At first, she wanted to be a large animal veterinarian and talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle. Later, she wanted to be an animal scientist like Jane Goodall and filled notebooks with observations about her goldfish. Eventually, she decided to help animals in her own way—by telling their stories through books and news articles for National Geographic and others. She lives in Shelburne, Vermont, with her family, which includes their super smart German shepherd who knows how to do the laundry.