Book excerpt: A light-hearted collection of stories and anecdotes from two vets working in the heartland. Peter Anderson and Peter Jerram have rounded up a selection of highly entertaining yarns about the animals, and owners, they've come across during their more than thirty years in practice together. Among these hard case and humorous tales are stories of a narrowly escaped attack from a lame bull, a tough pig hunter who fainted at the sight of a syringe, a young green vet confronted by a bull with a prolapsed prepuce, and chasing clients reluctant to cough up.These two Marlborough vets treat both large and small animals and Peter Anderson is known locally as the flying vet, visiting clients in the back country of Marlborough and North Canterbury. These glimpses into the reality of a rural vet's life are essential reading for animal lovers or anyone interested in stories from the heartland of New Zealand.