PREFACE

Beautiful Joe is a real dog, and "Beautiful Joe" is his real name. He
belonged during the first part of his life to a cruel master, who
mutilated him in the manner described in the story. He was rescued from
him, and is now living in a happy home with pleasant surroundings, and
enjoys a wide local celebrity.

The character of Laura is drawn from life, and to the smallest detail is
truthfully depicted. The Morris family has its counterparts in real
life, and nearly all of the incidents of the story are founded on
fact.--THE AUTHOR.





INTRODUCTION


The wonderfully successful book, entitled "Black Beauty," came like a
living voice out of the animal kingdom. But it spake for the horse, and
made other books necessary; it led the way. After the ready welcome that
it received, and the good it has accomplished and is doing, it followed
naturally that some one should be inspired to write a book to interpret
the life of a dog to the humane feeling of the world. Such a story we
have in "Beautiful Joe."

The story speaks not for the dog alone, but for the whole animal