The story behind the creation of the Simon and Schusters' book, The Bond: People and their Animals starts in the hustle and bustle of New York City where for over 20 years Shel Secunda had been working as an advertising and celebrity photographer with his own studio. His photographs appeared on the covers of Life, Ladies' Home Journal, and TV Guide.

Shel Secunda & Anka

Shel began photographing people with animals, more and more. As he says, 'I got to the point where I would be cranky if an animal wasn't to be in the picture.' Then it happened, the moment that would change the rest of his life. Shel posed his jet black German Shepherd with a baby, and when this beast yawned, Shel's camera caught it. That portrait went on to be selected for the permanent collection of the International Center of Photography in New York. Shel soon realized he wanted to photograph more animals. So he and his wife, successful writer Victoria Secunda, moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut--where Shel turned the huge basement of his new house into an office, studio, and dark room. Soon after Shel got the idea of doing a book of famous people and their pets, he called Roger Caras, President of the ASPCA, whom he knew slightly and with whom he shared his ideas. Roger and Shel went looking for a publisher and when Simon and Schuster came along ... well the rest, as they say, is history.

Lainie Kazan & Ella

'This book was all about love. It shows the love between people and their pets. It was certainly a labor of love,' said Shel. This book is 144 pages of majestic photographs and heart warming stories, creating a item that is sure to grace your coffee table for a long time to come. Comedian Carol Burnett, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Alexander, Actor James Earl Jones, animal rights advocate Gretchen Wyler, and Hollywood legend Jack Lemmon are just a few of the celebrities we come to know through essays and photos. The Bond, promises to be a time honored classic. It serves as a wonderful vehicle to demonstrate the natural link between humans and animals and depict the love we have for our pets. This coffee-table piece, The Bond is available at bookstores nationwide.

Chairman of The National Endowment for The Arts, Jane Alexander & Cody

-Kareem Tabsch is a freelance writer who specializes in celebrity interviews. He has interviewed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Julio Iglesias, Barbara Mandrell and others. He writes frequently on animal related issues as well as on the entertainment industry.