Note from Janice Brown, Founder

I have a confession, and this seems to be the appropriate time to share it. I am camera crazy. There is rarely a time I do not have my digital camera with me. Luckily it’s tiny and fits in my pocket.
My 80 gig hard drive is bursting at the seams with photos and videos, and the walls in my home are full of frames. I find myself frequently stopping to recall a memory and smiling, no matter how many times I may have looked at the same picture.
Admittedly, it’s hard sometimes to strike a careful balance between living in the moment and capturing the moment. In my attempt to preserve the fun times, I don’t want to miss out on the action.
However, these sentimental scenes are often our key to the past. Looking at photo albums and watching old movies (even if they have no sound!) of my sisters and I when we were younger gives me a glimpse of what my family was like, how our old house was decorated, how my grandparents’ hair looked before it was gray, and of course how cute my first dog Misty looked after I dressed her in a pair of baby overalls and put red bows in her hair.
When people and pets are no longer with us, remembering them visually can help evoke the emotions that we felt when they were here. Pet loss is a subject that is important to talk about, but hard to face. Losing any family member is difficult, but our companion animals can create an even bigger hole in our lives than when our human relatives pass away. Our pets are with us when we wake up, when we go to sleep, and for many of us, throughout the day. With many more people working from home, and the growing trend of pets in the workplace, it’s not uncommon for pets and people to be together nearly all of their waking hours. That is quite a bond. And, unfortunately, that means there is a significant missing that occurs once an animal is gone.
This issue offers ways to memorialize and honor the wonderful lives our pets have led, and the contributions they have made to our lives. It is also a place to recognize and celebrate the companion animals who are still with us, through the amazing photos you have sent us. Since our first issue nearly seven years ago, the photo contest has been one of your favorites. Let’s face it; we all love to look at our pets.
Enjoy this issue, and thanks to all of you who sent in your photo entries. Trust me, the oohing and aahing that goes on in our office during the judging process is out of control. With everyone stopping to view your adorable pets, it’s amazing we get any work done at all!
Don’t forget, even if your pet didn’t get her 15 minutes of fame in our pages, we think they’re all winners.