Author J. R. Helton never saw himself as an "animal lover." In fact, he wasn't even a good pet owner. An yet, in 1997, he found himself helping his wife, Tracy Frank, form the Southern Animal Rescue Association on a 581 acre ranch in South Texas. Recently recognized for its work with a grant from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, SARA is now one of the largest, truly no-kill dog and cat sanctuaries in the South and has found homes for hundreds of abandoned and abused animals while providing a haven for hundreds more. In his memoir Man and Beast, the author traces his reluctant journey of co-founding a sanctuary not only for animals, but perhaps one for himself as well.