Editor's Note

Finally, the dog (and cat) days of summer are here. It’s my favorite time of the year in the Midwest. I remember that first great day in May when the temperature soared into the high 70’s and everyone made a beeline for the outdoors. I saw them everywhere: sunning themselves in their backyards, jogging along the lakefront, moseying down city sidewalks, and playing Frisbee in the park. I am of course talking about the animals in my neighborhood, who like their human companions, can’t get enough of the great outdoors. Whether you’re on four legs or two, it’s hard to resist the allure of summertime.

I love the daily ritual of my identical twin cats Parker and Valentine (pronounced Valen-teen) lounging in the sill of my open window, perched so closely together they resemble a two-headed feline hydra. It’s in this place where they will remain for the afternoon until they once again hear my key turning in the lock, at which point they run to the door and wait for my entrance in anticipation of a little chin rubbing and back scratching. In case you haven’t already noticed, I’m an unfamiliar face in the pages of this magazine. While many of you have been faithful readers and subscribers since day one, I have only recently discovered Tails magazines. My love affair with animals however, is anything but new. I had dreamt of adopting a pet my entire life and was forever waiting for the right scenario, which finally came along five years ago while living in San Diego.

My next door neighbor’s cat gave birth to a litter of kittens, two of whom were female Tortoise Shell Calicos. She offered to let me adopt the larger of the two kittens insisting that the smaller was too precious to give away. But six weeks after Parker and I settled into our new life together that same neighbor told me she couldn’t handle the abundance of animals in her life, and that she was planning to ship the tiny Tortoise Shell kitten off to the pound! I immediately scooped up the adorable runt and brought her back to my place—determined that I would find the right guardian for her, which of course turned out to be me.

Five and a half years later I’m back in Chicago and can’t imagine my life without my two girls. My entire family has fallen in love with them as well, so much so that they’ve also become proud pet parents. My sister has rescued and adopted three cats (Sasha, Satine, and Fluffy) and my parents now have two (Jenny and Roxy). Working at Tails, Inc. feels like the icing on the pet cake (in case you’ve never heard of such a thing, see our article on page 12 about pet celebrations).

I get to come to work each day knowing that my responsibilities (besides managing and editing the magazine!) are to encourage the humane treatment of animals and to celebrate the unique relationship between us and them. Judging by the number of dogs I see running alongside their guardians all over town and the many cats I find curled up on the bed in a contented nautical shell position in my friend’s apartments,

I know just how important this relationship is. I’m so excited by this family of dogs, cats, readers, writers, veterinarians, shelters, rescuers, and everyone else that founder Janice Brown has brought together over the years. I certainly hope that you will all welcome me, Parker, and Valentine into this great big family as well. I look forward to an abundance of shared stories, pet outings, and much laughter. And if any of you have suggestions on how a self-proclaimed “cat person” can invite a few more dogs into his life, my ears are open and my tail is wagging! In the meantime, enjoy your summer and don’t forget to supply your pets with plenty of cold water and fresh air. It’s hot out there!

Jason A. Heidemann
jason@ChicagolandTails.com