Jon Katz, dog lover, befuddled farmer in upstate New York and author of 20 books, many of which take place on Bedlam Farm, is returning to the Vineyard to promote his latest book, Going Home. Those of us fortunate enough to see Mr. Katz on his last trip here can pass on the news that his talents as a writer are eclipsed only by his abilities before a live audience. His talk takes place on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven.

In Going Home, Mr. Katz tackles the hard questions and profoundly sad side of pet ownership, the reality that, by all actuarial charts, we will outlive our pets. How do we come to terms with the fact that these beloved members of the family, so embedded in the daily fabric of our lives, will die? Mr. Katz brackets his topic with stories from friends and fans and support groups on the Internet. He also spins the tale around an excruciating decision to put down a favorite dog, a border collie named Orson.

“On the farm, Orson wreaked havoc, which was his dominant characteristic. He dug under and leapt over fences. His notion of sheepherding was to grab the largest ewe, pull her over onto the ground . . . Orson nipped at workmen, package-delivery people, neighbors. He bit three people, including a child,” Mr. Katz writes.

But Mr. Katz adored this dog and before coming to the wrenching decision to have him euthanized, he consulted veterinarians, holistic practitioners, trainers and animal communicators and tried every available treatment. “He was simply beyond my ability to repair or control.”

Although it was behavioral problems that plagued Orson, Going Home also includes many stories of animals that have lived a long life and animals who are too sick to care for anymore. Mr. Katz and his wife, the artist Maria Wulf, currently care for more animals than most of us will ever oversee in a lifetime: his dogs Rose, Izzy, Lenore and Frieda, donkeys Lulu and Fanny, barn cats Mother and Minnie and a whole herd of sheep to keep his border collies occupied. In other words, he has vast amounts of experience in this area.

Mr. Katz explores the subject of grieving over animals from every angle, from how to decide that you’ve given your pet a good life, to decisions over treatment — he doesn’t believe in expensive veterinary practices that extend an animal’s life and strain the bank account — to finding help when the sadness seems unrelenting, and the renewal that comes from gratitude for pets both living and dead.

There are helpful strategies, such as his friend Harry deciding to treat his shepherd/border collie mix dog, Duke, to a perfect day before his failing heart, in a few weeks’ time, was due to fell him. The morning began for Duke with a hamburger patty and two strips of bacon and only improved from there, including favorite walks, high-bounce red ball chases, a doggy-paddle in a pond, and more liver treats than any pampered lap dog has ever been allowed to expect in a single day and evening.

“Of all the photos Harry took on the Perfect Day, the one he loved the best was of Duke sitting on the stone ledge in the state park, taking in the sights and smells . . . looking for all the world like a king surveying his territory.”

Harry passed along the idea of the Perfect Day to scores of other dog owners and now the legacy will be expanded exponentially by the release of Going Home. Mr. Katz also promotes the idea of a cathartic memorial ceremony, describing many he presided over for his own pets whom he has buried on the hillsides of his farm. He also reassures animal lovers that grieving for lost pets is not unnatural nor something that needs to be suffered in silence.

At one point early in his Bedlam Farm days, Mr. Katz took on the care of an aging 3,000-pound steer, Elvis, whose previous owner had found too lovable to ship to the slaughterhouse.

“Elvis had the smart dog’s gift of paying attention to people and making us believe that he loved us dearly.”

Eventually he realized too much of his time and resources were spent toting bales of hay and cleaning up in the steer’s wake. “I began to confront other issues in my life — anxiety, reckless spending, competing impulses, and a need to make the farm dramatic and challenging.”

What became of Elvis is one of the colorful stories that makes Going Home an engrossing read. Most of us, even most farmers, will never need to address the issue of an elderly 3,000-pound steer, but all of us can relate to saying goodbye to a treasured pet.

The passing of pets is a poignant topic, but Mr. Katz’s writing is rich, his humor always peeking out from under the barn shadows, and his fresh anecdotes from Bedlam a continuing delight.

Jon Katz will read from his new book Going Home at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven. For more information, visit bunchofgrapes.com or bedlamfarm.com.