Tricia Johnson, aged 60, of Hartshill Road, Hartshill, is a retired mother-of-two and a member of North Staffordshire Animal Aid.

THE BOOK that changed my life is the 1977 novel, The Plague Dogs, by Richard Adams, who also wrote Watership Down.

It's the story of two dogs who escape from a research laboratory in the Lake District.

It's an exciting tale of escape and survival, as the hunt is on when it's mistakenly believed the dogs have been infected with bubonic plague.

I later joined Animal Aid, an organisation which campaigns against all types of animal cruelty.

North Staffordshire Animal Aid is holding a series of drop-in afternoons for people interested in animal rights and vegetarianism at the Ebenezer School Rooms, Merrial Street, Newcastle, starting today, from 1pm to 4pm.