Spring 2009 – Editor’s Note
We at Dog’s Life are excited to see the signs of spring. It is a time associated with renewal and change — the weather gets warmer, the leaves grow back on the trees, the flowers bloom again. It seems that even the word “change” has a renewed significance lately. We’re experiencing change in the government and the economy, and in the way many of us must now live our lives. In the animal welfare community, we have seen some necessary changes happen, like the closing of puppy mills and the enactment of new legislation to protect animals. Most importantly, we have seen a change in the pet adoption movement.
Our feature story, “Adoption is the New Black,” details the evolution of the pet adoption movement. The story highlights many of the changes that have helped bring the issues of animal welfare to the forefront. From the public’s changing attitude toward shelter and rescue animals to their heightened interest in animal welfare, we follow the shift in the idea of adoption. It has been a slow start with still a long way to go, but we have great hopes that one day, adoption will always be the first option for people who want to bring a new dog into their lives.
This issue is also about recognizing the changes we are making for our planet. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we have dedicated parts of this issue to eco-friendly ideas. In the story “Pet-Friendly House Cleaning,” we discuss the toxic dangers of household cleaning products and offer some “green” alternatives you can use to keep your dog safe and healthy. On the Dog Treats page we have specifically chosen products that can reduce your dog’s carbon pawprint. All of the products are eco-friendly and give a portion of their revenue to support charitable organizations — the real meaning of making your dollars stretch. On the How to Help page we feature four amazing dogs in need of new homes. We think the ultimate example of recycling is adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue and giving it a second chance at life.
Dog’s Life is also experiencing some changes. This is the first time we haven’t used a photograph on the cover. Instead, we chose to use an amazing image designed by the artist Shepard Fairey for Adopt-a-Pet.com and their ADOPT campaign. It is based on his iconic Obama “HOPE” image, and it’s the perfect visual to capture the essence of the spring issue. The full poster image is available for download, and you can read all about it on the Chew on This page.
In addition, you can now find Dog’s Life online on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Flickr. We hope all of you in the dog community will join us by posting messages and pictures of your dogs as well as participating in discussion groups. We realize that sharing our ideas is the best way to make changes for a better life for our companion animals.
Thank you for helping to create change and a making a difference in a dog’s life.
Yvonne B. Mejia
Founder/Editor
