From the acclaimed author of the Sebastian Darke thrillers and Crow Boy comes an exciting novel that teens and adults will enjoy. Fred, the old sheepdog of Morton's Farm, has a dream that something bad is coming ... but surely it can't mean Ralph, the orphaned puppy who arrives shortly afterwards? More likely, it has something to do with the mysterious black dog who arrives at the farm sometime later, heavily pregnant. When she gives birth to a large litter of doberman pups, young Ralph is appointed as their guardian. As the pups grow, under the leadership of the runt of the litter, Kurt, the dobermans begin to exert a malign and powerful influence over the farm and in particular, the chickens. Animal Factory is an intense allegory about the rise of Nazism and contains scenes which younger readers may find disturbing.