Words Allison Smith, Editor-in-Chief
I come from a long line of animal lovers, and we had many pets growing up – from a variety of saltwater fish and a turtle named Rocky to many cats and dogs over the years.
As soon as I moved out on my own, I adopted two feral barn kittens who promptly made themselves at home inside my box spring and only came out at night. Later, I decided to get an aquarium and came home from the pet store with a newt and two goldfish. Same tank would be fine, the employee assured me, not realizing the goldfish would, sadly, view the newt as a particularly tasty snack. More cats followed over the years until I got together with a highly allergic partner, so we are now cat-free but with two dogs.
Nothing makes me happier than being with animals, whether it’s seeing a friendly feline while walking around the neighbourhood or visiting the menagerie at Country Bee Honey Farm. Every time I come home from Beacon Hill Children’s Farm, it’s with the firm conviction that a couple of goats would fit perfectly in our yard (a conviction quickly quashed yet again by my husband). One day … .
After a brief period of being scared of dogs when she was a toddler, my daughter now loves animals just as much as I do, and it seems there’s always something on her radar that she must convince us to adopt. First it was gerbil sisters (who, despite my best and most creative efforts and many different types of enclosures, chewed their way out of everything so were eventually rehomed), the addition of our second dog and, now on the near horizon, a jumping spider!
I’m not someone who is scared of spiders, or insects, really, but neither do I … love them. Having one in our home as a pet has taken some convincing but she did her research, saved her money, and I think it may be happening.
Whether rodent, reptile or furbaby, pets are an essential part of so many local families that we think it only fitting to have an issue in which we celebrate them! We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did creating it.
This puppy may have already found a family, but there are many animals waiting for their forever homes at www.victoriahumanesociety.com.
Photo Janis Jean
