Editor's Note
Despite the fact that it feels good to be busy, there’s still this nagging feeling that we should be slowing down this time of year, not speeding up. Why is it that during the holidays we are encouraged to relax and spend time with our families, but instead do just the opposite? If only we could spend the next several months hibernating like some of our animal counterparts.
I don’t think that will happen this year. Instead, this flurry of activity is likely to snowball (no pun intended) with each passing day. So I’ll take this opportunity and do what this time of year is all about, giving back. Giving back to me means offering a word of thanks to everyone who helped make this issue of the magazine another knockout.
Take another look at that cover. Isn’t it amazing? We couldn’t have asked for a better stocking stuffer than to have this lively and eye-catching piece of art, created exclusively for Tails, grace the front of our magazine. Each month a new artist lends his or her talents to the cover and we’re enormously thankful for all of them.
Our writers do an outstanding job bringing you up-to-date stories about the animal world. This magazine would be just a front and back page without them. Regular contributor Katie Marsico began working for Tails as an intern several years ago. Today, she is one outstanding writer and we are excited that she shared with us a story on the emergency rescue workers who come to the aid of animals during a crisis. National correspondent Steve Dale has a number of credentials under his collar. Not only is he the host of Pet Central and Animal Planet Radio among other great endeavors, but he’s also been writing for Tails since issue one and this time around tells us that “Pets Rule”.
Acclaimed pet photographer Kim Levin was kind enough to fly to Chicago to snap the winning pet for our Cattitude photo contest and offer 10 tips on how to best photograph your pet. Her handsome photos and excellent advice add an extra bit of panache to the magazine.
We are always tremendously grateful for the support of our advertisers. Not only do they keep our magazine on the newsstands, but they also offer products and services that are of great value to our community. As always, we encourage our readers to support our advertisers by checking to see if they carry any of the fabulous products in this year’s gift guide.
In goes without saying that the beating heart of the magazine is our own Tails staff members, who make this publication a success every day. Their commitment to this magazine is the best gift you could ever hope to find under a tree. I’d like to think of our interns as elves, but I don’t think even Santa’s best helpers are as passionate or diligent as these spirited workers are. They deserve a BIG thank you. Operations manager Dana Centola left her native Texas to bear the chilly Chicago winters and keep this office organized. Meanwhile, design and production manager Rebeckah Valyi and her department work late into the night to make sure each issue of the magazine is a visual knockout. Janice Brown, our founder and editorial director, continues to invest all her energy into bringing together communities of pet lovers, and her passion and spirit can be felt in each issue.
However, there is no Chicagoland Tails without you, our readers, and your pets. Your loyal support and tremendous enthusiasm is why we are celebrating our fifth anniversary with this issue!
Thank you for making this the best pet magazine in the world, and happy holidays.
Jason A. Heidemann
jason@ChicagolandTails.com
