Animals have been a part of my life ever since I can remember. We had a short-haired Dachshund named Ute when I was little. Not the nicest dog from what I remember. Then we had Spice, a long-haired Dachshund, during the rest of my childhood and teenaged years. She was the sweetest dog ever. Fast forward to today, and my husband, Steve, and I have two Basenjis.

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You have a ba-what? That’s a question I get a lot. Usually, it’s accompanied by a slightly scrunched face since most people have never heard of the breed. Basenjis are a primitive dog breed, about 10,000 years old. They used to be in the courts of the Egyptians before they vanished into the jungles of the Congo. They still function in that country as small game hunters. Ranging from about 20 pounds to 30 pounds, they’re lightly built with small, oval paws, pointy ears, and a curly tail. They don’t bark continuously, but they do an alarm bark, plus yodel, baroo, and all of the other noises dogs can make. They’re independent. That doesn’t mean they’re not trainable. It just means that they can be trained—when they want to be trained. Think cats trapped in dogs’ bodies, and you have the Basenji. We have Bonnie and Clyde (also known as the Outlaws). Clyde is our red-and-white male, our emotional one. Bonnie is our black-and-white female, the cool, calm, calculating one.

When I write at home, both of them work so hard at being lazy, either hanging out on the porch with me or chilling on the front bench in our dining room while I write at the table.

Another question I sometimes get is whether Basenjis have appeared in my books. Yes, indeed. In the Unit 28 series, Alex Thornton has a black-and-white Basenji, Sabinah, who I modeled after Bonnie. She makes appearances in all three books of that series.

I also have other animals in the Last Chance series. The characters of the series live on a ranch outside of Flagstaff, and their animals range from horses to cats to a whole pack of dogs. Diana Kasem, who’s the main character in Operation Impact, has a rescue dog named Basil. Sana and Suleiman al-Ibrahim have four cats, and neither are huge fans of dogs. I get it. Some folks are just cat people. In my upcoming release, the leading man, Benito Valdez, has a cat named Oscar who likes to sit on his shoulder. However, Fiona Mercedes, the leading lady, is not a cat person. Just how will they work out that difference?

Here’s a huge thing. I never, ever kill off an animal. I love animals too much. Sure, the fur children of my characters may get into sticky situations with their people or even injured, but you will never see me kill off an animal. Too much emotional trauma for the reader. I get it because once I was reading a book from a well-known writer who let her protagonist have a sweet little dog—who she then killed off. I must admit, she lost me for the rest of the book because of that.

Last, people may ask why I include animals in my books. I think animals make us better people. When we’re caring for God’s creatures, we learn to care for others in general. And, you have to admit that sometimes, the animals become important characters themselves in their own way.

So, my reader friends, I hope this gives you a little insight as to the role animals can play in a book. And who knows? You may see a Basenji again sometime in the future.

What kinds of animals do you like to see or have you seen in books?

Meet Jennifer

Jennifer Haynie writes on-the-edge suspense for lovers of romantic suspense. She writes about strong women who not only survive challenges but learn to thrive in spite of them. She believes her stories should contain plots that keep readers on the edge of their seats as well as create identifiable characters. Her goal is to encourage people to think more deeply about their own lives and to encourage them through issues they may face.

She has published ten novels in the general indie market. As a member of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association, she’s served as secretary during its first year and remains involved. She encourages indie authors by sharing her experiences.

In addition to her writing, Jennifer plays a vital role in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure. As part of her work, she regularly speaks to engineers, elected officials, local government staff, and political appointees about water and wastewater infrastructure issues. Since 2014, she’s completed presentations to over 1,500 people.

Jennifer has a penchant for fitness, which includes weightlifting, running, a good hike, and warm summer days spent kayaking. She and her husband also make occasional forays into national parks for camping where each trip turns into an adventure. They live with their two Basenji dogs outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.