A Series of Opinionated Animals

For Michelle Lerner, a Harvard-educated lawyer, the call wasn't just unusual—it was a summons. On the line was a panicked volunteer from a chaotic cat shelter she'd left behind years ago. The problem? A neurologically-impaired squirrel who insisted on being sat on by his rabbit roommate was about to fall into the hands of the state, and Michelle was his only hope. It's a question most people never face, but for Michelle, it was just the beginning of a life lived in loving, chaotic service to the most opinionated animals imaginable.

In A Series of Opinionated Animals, Lerner invites readers into her astonishing world, where the line between rescue and civil disobedience is often blurred. This is a world where a disabled sheep named Lamby—the "Woolly Bully"—wears children's skateboarding elbow pads, develops a taste for blue corn chips, and learns to herd cats, all while demanding her meals by ramming her head against the kitchen door. It's a world where Monster, the squirrel, recovers from his mysterious past by throwing tantrums, serenading the neighborhood with squirrel opera, and forming an inseparable bond with a patient rabbit named Finn. Lerner's story is populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, including a trio of rescue dogs—Nubi, the resident genius; Fern, the speckled pig-like dog who embarks on her own "Outward Bound" journey; and Chip, the lovable fool who joyfully dances on thin ice. From a ferocious chicken who hazes new farmhands to a veritable herd of cats with feline leukemia who teach lessons in love and loss, Lerner shows us that every animal has a story and a distinct, often hilarious, point of view.

With the sharp wit of a seasoned lawyer and the deep empathy of a lifelong animal advocate, Lerner seamlessly weaves her personal experiences into a broader narrative about justice for those who cannot speak for themselves. She recounts how her profound bond with Shire, a disabled ex-police horse, propelled her into the field of animal law, where she would go on to help establish one of the nation's first student animal law programs, at Harvard no less. A Series of Opinionated Animals is a moving and uproarious memoir about the radical, world-changing act of recognizing the personhood in every creature. It is a story of unconventional family, profound grief, and the kind of love that transcends species—a love that is messy, demanding, and ultimately transformative.

Michelle Lerner credits her horse Shire with shaping her path in life. Michelle’s parents saved Shire, an ex-police horse with a large calcified knee and an even larger personality, from being sold to slaughter when Michelle was just nine years old. The deep bond between Michelle and Shire directed many of her decisions growing up, and eventually led her to apply to Harvard Law School, where an essay about the lessons Shire taught her led to her acceptance and eventual graduation with magna cum laude honors.

While at Harvard Law School, Michelle pushed forward the development of animal law programs. After an animal rights sticker on her locker resulted in a litany of notes taped to its door, she started the Harvard Law School Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, which successfully lobbied for Harvard’s first animal law class. That class in turn spawned a full animal law program and clinic, thanks to a seed donation from Bob Barker, and spurred the creation of animal law classes and programs across the country. After working as a legal aid lawyer for a decade, Michelle turned her attention back to animal law full-time.

After doing policy work focused on endangered and threatened species, she became an expert on humane feral cat management programs, drafting municipal and state legislation and working on related issues at the local, regional, and national levels, eventually co-chairing the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee. She simultaneously founded a local Trap-Neuter-Return and cat rescue organization that managed to turn her own town no-kill through hands-on work and policy changes.

Michelle’s legal and policy work on behalf of animals is rooted in her experiences caring not only for Shire, a veritable menagerie of other rescued animals with big personalities, including but not limited to: Monster, a goofy squirrel with neurological impairments who was happiest with his rabbit life partner, Finn; Lamby, a physically disabled sheep who, unaware of the meek-and-mild stereotype, earned the nickname of “Woolly Bully” and spent much of her time under a sun parasol; Stephanie, a fierce chicken who hazed farmhands and ruled with an iron claw; Nubi, Chip, and Fern, a trio of large dogs rescued from high-kill shelters who engaged in hijinks while traveling the continent in the back of a Toyota Corolla; Seven cats with feline leukemia and personalities ranging from mischievous to dignified; Quincy, a nipping cat saved from euthanasia and nicknamed Mr. Dandypants for his persnickety attitudes and habits; and Pepsi, the beauty queen and horse’s horse, whose anxious tics were the key to discovering what she really needed. Michelle’s life has been guided by a profound belief in animal personhood and the idea that every animal has an opinion to share, if you only stop to listen. A poet since the age of six, Michelle turned to writing stories after a disabling illness left her unable to practice law. In 2025, Bancroft Press published her critically acclaimed novel, Ring, a work of literary fiction about grief with a dog central to its story. A Series of Opinionated Animals is her first memoir.