Janice Brown,

Founder and Editorial Director

I am continuously in awe of the animal community. Each day I open my inbox, it’s flooded with cool animal news, programs that are out there making a difference, and rescue stories that make me smile. However, the past few weeks have really had our staff gushing over you, our readers, and your adorable pets. From the “oohing” and “aahing” that were coming from down the hall, I was sure we had a crowd in the office watching fireworks. But when I peeked out, I saw about 10 of our staff members crammed around a computer screen, scrolling through the Tails photo contest entries.

Each year we get more and more photos. This year we received thousands of entries, which means it gets harder and harder to choose the winners. So the images you see in this issue really are the cream of the crop and had some tough competition. But never fear. If your pet did not make it into the winner’s circle, that doesn’t mean that he or she may never be a star. Our production department snatches up all of the images, and they will be added to our image library. So keep picking up each issue of Tails, since your furry friend may pop up in these pages yet.

This issue is always a fun one and reminds all of us why we do what we do. True, it is you, the pet parent, who can actually read our articles, but much of what we do day in and day out benefits the animals. So thanks for allowing us into your homes, beds, shoes, yards, and all of the other places your cutie pie decides to take a nap. … it is really an honor to meet your companions and see them all in action.

As spring finally blesses us with its green sprouts and blue skies, I look forward to seeing the animals out and about with you to enjoy the sunshine.

Keep your cameras ready; you never know when you’re going to capture next year’s cover photo!

Your pets are all winners in our book––

Jason A. Heidemann,

Executive Editor

I often get asked about the picture of myself that you’re looking at as you read this. Casual observers (or perhaps ones who have misplaced their reading glasses) often think I’m holding a dog. As you can see, I’m actually holding a koala bear. Previous to working at Tails, I lived for a short time in Australia and was privy to spotting all kinds of native animals, like koalas, emus, wallabies, kangaroos, and Tasmanian devils, both in captivity and in the wild.

It’s considered inhumane to force koala bears to spend their afternoons in the arms of tourists hungry for an instant photo to take back home as a souvenir. The practice has been outlawed in most Australian states. For the record, this image was taken at a wildlife sanctuary. My friends had a close relationship with the operations manager, and while I was on a private tour of the grounds, she offered to put the bear in my arms during feeding time.

The reason I mention all this is because some readers think it’s strange that I’m not holding a cat or dog in the picture. The truth is that this is the only good image of myself with an animal that I have. While the pets in my life are photogenic, I am not. The results of our annual photo contest are in, and the winning entries have forced me to surrender to the fact that I just don’t photograph as well as animals do.

Thousands of you participated in the photo contest, and the message you sent is clear: You live with some pretty adorable animals. But there’s a bigger picture (no pun intended) here, and that is that each of your entries was a testament to the power of the human-animal bond. I hope that policymakers in Washington and around the world are listening when we urge them to enact laws on animals’ behalf. Clearly, pets are ready for their close-up.