From the streets of Romania, to the show ring at Crufts, Incredible Kratu is the moving story of a lovable street dog who healed a broken, autistic woman, and how, together, they continue to bring joy to everyone they meet.
A solitary child who only really found solace in nature, Tess Eagle Swan ran away from home aged sixteen and, by her late twenties, had already survived violence and drug addiction. In the following decade, life spiralled further out of control, as substance abuse filled the hole meaningful relationships should have occupied. Something had to change.
Tess had always loved animals, so when she saw a post on Facebook about the plight of two dogs in Romania, she was moved to take action, helping find homes for both. It was the first step on the road that led her to Kratu - the Carpathian/Mioritic Shepherd cross she adopted in 2014. From his humble beginnings on a Roma camp in Transylvania, Kratu has gone on to become a canine international treasure. Now a trained assistance and therapy dog, he has brought joy to millions with his lovable antics - not least with his legendary appearances at Crufts. But the role he has played in Tess's story is more compelling still. After a lifetime of distress, Tess and Kratu's bond allowed Tess to finally learn to love herself and answer some of the questions behind her troubled beginnings.
Incredible Kratu is the inspirational true story of this unlikely pair, who found in each other the love and support they needed to beat the odds and turn both their lives around.
About the Authors
Raised in a small Hertfordshire village, Tess was a solitary child who found it difficult to relate to people. When she was sixteen her father died of cancer and she left home, going on to spend a number of years living in punk squats in London, where she became addicted to heroin. She finally came clean and later, at the age of 54, Tess was formally diagnosed with ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder).
For the past nine years, Tess has devoted her life to raising awareness of animal welfare issues and autism-related causes. She also supports the cross parliamentary group APDAWG. Now a dedicated dog welfare advocate and rescue dog ambassador, she also continues to train her five dogs, and, along with Kratu (now her official Assistance Dog), does therapy work at the local primary school. Tess has three grandchildren, and now lives in Cambridgeshire.
Born and raised in London and now based in Cardiff, Wales, Lynne Barrett-Lee has been a full time author since the mid 1990s. She has ten novels and over a hundred published short stories to her name, as well as two guides to writing fiction, which she teaches in her spare time. She is the ghostwriter of the bestselling memoir Fabulous Finn.
