Vicki Hearne

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Vicki Hearne (1946-2001) was an American author, philosopher, poet, animal trainer, and scholar of literary criticism and linguistics.

Born and raised in Texas, Victoria Elizabeth Hearne received an English degree from the University of California at Riverside. She then spent more than twenty-five years studying animal behavior as a horse and dog trainer. Central to Hearne's view on animal training was her belief that animals should not be anthropomorphized by humans, but that in their individuality they have the capacity to be in recriprocal relationships with humans both emotionally and morally. She authored several books on animals and animal-training theory, including Adam's Task, Bandit, and Animal Happiness. She received a 1992 award for outstanding literary achievement from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.