Editor's Note

Being indoor animals who would love to hang around outside, my cats are keen observers of what goes on beyond our four walls. They’ve spent the last couple of weeks glued to the windowsills as if at red alert. They hear the cacophonous sounds of the neighborhood birds chirping, they see our courtyard squirrels chattering about, and they’ve watched the buds slowly start to blossom. They know that spring has finally arrived.

It’s an exciting time for pets and their people. While our cats emerge from the confines of their comforters and blankets and plant themselves permanently at the window for the next six months, the drudgery of walking our dogs in frigid temperatures changes from a chore to an anticipated event.

In fact, this is how some people keep themselves and their dogs fit and trim. If you don’t believe me, just flip through the pages of this magazine. As part of our rescue and adoption issue, we’ve examined how the human-animal bond keeps us and our pets healthier. It’s amazing how something as simple as loving an animal can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, alleviate loneliness, add years to our lives, and take off the pounds!

But that’s not where our rescue and adoption campaign ends, it’s where it starts. Spring is also puppy and kitten season, and with as much joy as this time of the year can bring, it unfortunately goes hand-in-hand with pet overpopulation, unwanted litters, and euthanasia.

These are real problems we face as a community, so to tackle the problem Tails brought in the experts. Actress Diane Keaton isn’t just an Academy Award winner, she’s also a strong advocate of shelter rescue and works tirelessly as the spokeswoman for Iams’ Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign. Check out what she has to say about how pets have changed her life.

Those lovable animals on our cover belong to the Mutts tribe. This popular comic strip is the brainchild of cartoonist and activist Patrick McDonnell. He was kind enough to share his feelings on why shelter animals rule and why all animals deserve our love and respect.

As we all know, it’s often the purebred pets who are lavished with attention and affection. Author Julia Szabo presented us with a strong case for why mixedbreeds make the best companions in the world. Take a look at her new book, The Underdog, and read what she told us about why these dogs are the unsung heroes of the companion-animal world.

If you are fortunate enough to bring home a new canine companion this spring, we know that introducing him to your world is a joyful, but also frustrating, unfamiliar time. Jan Fennell, better known as the Dog Listener, spoke to us all the way from her home in the United Kingdom about “amichien bonding” and how her methods are changing the way we communicate with our dogs.

What’s great about working at Tails is that we get to see change happening all around us. The rescue and adoption of animals isn’t an initiative that’s being sponsored by corporate giants, it’s something that happens at a grassroots level right here in our community. The biggest heroes are the folks at the animal shelters and the breed rescues who work tirelessly to end a problem most people are ignoring at the very least and contributing to at the very worst. This issue is dedicated to all our city and suburban shelter friends and workers who make the humane treatment of animals a way of life. Our gratitude toward them is reflected in the pages of this magazine.

Now that spring has sprung, we hope you’ll take advantage of the weather to engage in some outdoor activities. We look forward to seeing you and your dog hanging out at the off-leash dog parks, taking in a festival or street fair, or meeting other animal lovers at a charity benefit for your local shelter.

Don’t forget to throw open your screened windows; our indoor pets deserve a little lovin’ from Mother Nature as well!


Jason Heidemann
jason@ChicagolandTails.com 
Spring 2006 Tails