Editor's Note

We talk a lot about adopting pets here at Tails headquarters. As you can imagine, hundreds of pictures of animals in need of loving homes pass through our in-boxes each week, and it’s not uncommon for us to rally around a particularly sympathetic looking pet who has captured our attention.
    Usually, one of us will see an animal who catches our eye, and we’ll immediately call everyone else over to the computer. We’ll then gather around and stare lovingly at the pet’s picture. After a few minutes of admiring Larry the stray Himalayan cat or Dottie the abandoned Pit Bull mix, we’ll declare that someone on our staff is going to take him or her home by the end of the day.
    Of course, this is just wishful thinking. In reality, we can’t do this or we’d be eaten out of house, home, and office in no time. Just about all of us have a menagerie of animals already, and for some of us with especially busy lifestyles, just one is enough. But for a few moments, while we gaze longingly at some wonderful animal or read her story, we’ll each imagine that we can fit just one more pet into our life.
    In our hearts, of course, we could easily do it. Each one of us has the desire to make room for another furry companion. But our schedules, living restrictions, and pocketbooks (not to mention that demanding four-legged princess who already has the run of the house) tell us a different story.
    On the bright side, we mostly see these same animals succeed in finding the right home. Many times it’s with our assistance. We’ve picked up the phone and called friends, decided last minute to include these needy pets in our adoptable pages, and above all, advocated for their welfare. And we know you do the same. By reading Tails magazines, you validate our mission of rescue and adoption, and for that we thank you.
    Sometimes I wonder about those of you who may be reading this letter at this very moment. Many of you own a local business or work at a shelter that carries Tails; naturally we’re thrilled that you are a part of our family. Most of you, I’m guessing, pick us up because you have a pet at home. If that’s the case, we hope we are constant source of information. Perhaps we even have a few readers who are ready to choose their next animal companion. If that’s the case, we hope Tails inspires you to consider local shelters and breed rescue groups.
    Whatever the case might be, it’s nice to know that we’re not the only ones who wish we could save every unwanted animal out there. Tails is and always will be devoted to the animals, but once a year we produce a rescue and adoption special for our readers. Welcome to that issue.
    On these pages you will find information on where to put your charitable time and money; the joys of adopting a disabled animal; the future of microchipping; an interview with Rich Avanzino, the president of Maddie’s Fund; and much more. Please enjoy these articles and pass them along to anyone you know who’s wondering if an animal companion is right for them.

Enjoy the rest of your winter; spring is right around the corner!